In my opinion, Dan Brown is a good story teller. And because I enjoy his stories (certainly not his theology), I read his latest book last weekend. At one point, he is pointing out a statue that has been “altered.” He explains that a mediocre chiseler can produce a quality “fake” by smearing hot wax into the cracks of a statue. The faker would then add some stone dust and to the casual eye, the statue would look first rate. The adding of the wax concealed the flaws of the artist and the art work could be passed on as high quality work.

The Latin term for not using wax in that manner was “sine cera” which literally means “without wax.” In our English language, the term became “sincere” and eventually, we started signing all our letters with the salutation “sincerely.” Such a salutation is meant to convey the idea of integrity. It is a way of saying, “This is true. You can trust it.”

There are a number of places in our NIV Bible where this same thought is expressed. In Job 33:3, one of Jobs “friends,” Elihu tries to validate his thoughts by declaring, “My words come from an upright heart, my lips sincerely speak what I know.” He is trying to say he is an honest guy.

In the New Testament, the Apostles met in Acts 2 and they are described as men who met regularly and “… they broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” Paul teaches us in Romans 12 that our love must be sincere. And in his second letter to the Corinthians, he urges them to guard their minds so that they are not led astray “from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

We too need to have a sincere and pure devotion to Christ!

You and I need to check the “base of our statues” this week and make sure there is no wax hiding any imperfections. Our lives need to have an element of transparency that allows for an honest description of our failings. If we “goof,” we need to be the kind of people that quickly own up to our error. We need to be sincere…”without wax” in our dealings with family, friends, co-workers and our neighbors.

So this week…no wax!

Warmest regards in Christ,

Sherry L. Worel

Stoneybrooke Christian Schools