My mom was a clean and tidy freak. Now I can tell you what the folks at my church are thinking: “The scrub brush hasn’t fallen too far from the bucket.” Admittedly, I may have inherited an OCD gene – or 2 – hundred.
But my bent to sanitary correctness enjoys Biblical justification, right? “Cleanliness is next to God-liness.” Or not. If your mom ever tried foisting this leverage upon you, to manipulate your compliance to clean up your room or straighten your tie, either she’s duped or you both are. This familiar old adage isn’t in the Bible. Interestingly enough though, it’s origin echoes a very familiar maternal-ploy that goes all the way back to biblical times, reflecting however, a more direct connection with Jewish purification rites.
This so-familiar adage certainly gained attention in the Christian arena when in the 18th century, the renowned John Wesley coined the phrase in one of his sermons. He preached: “Slovenliness is no part of religion. ‘Cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness.'” Granted, he was certainly touting the virtues of a clean and orderly life, but he never intended to equate this to some Biblical mandate. It just evolved that way over time.
Of far greater importance, you may be interested in a new adage (I know it’s new, because I just made it up) that reflects a more Biblical model. Please come this Sunday to hear that “Integrity is next to Godliness.”