The title of this blog is derived from Matthew 23:27-28– “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
The leadership of our church decided several months ago to change the name of the church building since it was named after the streets the building was originally at the corners of, and the street names had changed in the last century. Under my breath, I said that the Church of the Whitewashed Sepulcher would be perfect- pretty on the outside, but a lot of old bones on the inside. But, of course, the congregation decided to simply change the name to match the name of the street the building currently sits on. How pointless. I saw so much opportunity with the change of a name to change the hearts and attitudes underneath, to make a statement of change, grace, and fresh starts. You can paint over a tomb, but it still holds decaying old bones.

I love how she presented her title. The verse not only warns of falseness but also reminds us of beauty within.