Home > Lenten Blog 2026
“Things that Matter”
March 3, 2026
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Isaiah 1:2-4, 16-20 Matt 23:1-12 Psalm 50:7-15,22-24
Matthew 23:1–12
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
Phew. What a time to hear these words. Turn on the TV or log onto social media and you’ll see a funeral draped in performative Christianity, featuring pyrotechnics, sleek graphics, and a certain featured guest telling us he hates his enemies. You’ll see a recruitment ad for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement with gospel (“blessed are the peacemakers”) layered over visuals of machine guns and prisons. At every turn, they’ll tell us they are the REAL Christians, and that the rest of us are somehow perverted enemies of the faith.
With this backdrop of violence, hate, and extravagance in mind, I didn’t have to reach far to understand “they do not practice what they teach” or “they do all their deeds to be seen by others.” But what about “the greatest among you will be your servant,” and “all who humble themselves will be exalted?” By definition, those engaged in humble service will be quieter, less visible, and likely working unnoticed in our midst.
Upon reflection, I recalled the recent MLK Day event in North Kingstown, where various community leaders read from Dr. King’s “Letters from a Birmingham Jail.” In this letter, Dr. King exposes the hypocrisy of those who say that work toward racial justice is divisive: he flips this idea by maintaining that racism and inequality is what’s actually divisive, because it’s against God – and to work against these forces is to live out Christ’s love. The rector from St. Paul’s (Wickford) read the portion where Dr. King calls out white clergy who’ve failed to meaningfully heed the call for racial equality, choosing comfort and absence of tension over justice and peace.
The rector was deeply moved as he read, as was the audience. I’d been conceptualizing humility as a willingness to join with and serve people who are struggling – but this was a different brand of humility entirely: a collective willingness to be exposed, to self-reflect, to sit with hard truths and constructive criticism (born of love), and to move past discomfort or defensiveness toward acceptance and a willingness to do better.
I find great comfort in knowing that our God is one who values humble service above glitz and glamor. I suppose that’s what Lent is all about!
Katie Anderson
