(The Nationalist, 20 October 2000)
In the past when sculptors used to carve works of art from white marble for wealthy clients, they had developed a technique for covering up mistakes. If they hit the mallet extra hard and knocked out too large a chip of marble, spoiling the piece, they used to try to cover up the gap by filling it with wax.
But those wealthy patrons of the arts were no fools and they wanted value for money. The first thing they did on examining a piece was to probe it carefully for wax. If they found any, they rejected the piece, knowing that it wasn’t the genuine article. And so, a sculpture without wax came to be regarded as the real thing, without cover-ups.
Those people used Latin and they described top-class sculptures as “Sine cera”, that is, “Without wax”. That phrase, “Sine cera”, has come into the English language as “sincere.” A sincere person is the genuine article, the real thing, without cover-ups. To be sincere with God is a challenge:
Do not say Father if you do not behave like a son or daughter.
Do not say Our if you live in isolation and selfishness.
Do not say Who art in heaven if you think only of the things of the earth.
Do not say Hallowed be thy name if you do not honour it.
Do not say Thy kingdom come if you confuse God’s kingdom and material success.
Do not say Thy will be done if you do not accept it when it is burdensome.
Do not say Give us this day our daily bread if you are not concerned about people who have no food, education, or means of a decent living.
Do not say Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us if you maintain anger against your neighbour.
Do not say Lead us not into temptation if you intend to continue sinning.
Do not say Deliver us from evil if you do not fight evil.
Do not say Amen if you do not take seriously the words of the Our Father.