February 29, 2016

Matthew 6:18b “your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Who are you when you are all alone? The above half verse is the third time in chapter 6 that these exact words are repeated. Back in the early part of the 16^th century, just a few years after Martin Luther posted his 98 discussion points on the church door at Wittenberg, a Spanish priest named Ignatius of Loyola developed a series of spiritual exercises which would be adopted by his followers. According to Wikipedia, “The traditional form of the Exercises is a retreat of about 30 days in silence and solitude.” Who would you be in silence and solitude for 30 days? We do so much for the reaction and approval of others and fear their rejection and scorn. We will sing in the shower when we think no one can hear but not in pubic. Truthfully, many of us who say we believe in God care more about what other people think of us than what this God we say we believe in thinks of us. And that’s a problem. This week, who will you be when you are all alone- alone with God.