There is an old saying that says “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” I don’t really think that is accurate. I do believe that it is useful and healthy to wash regularly and keep oneself physically clean. I have been next to people who could use a good wash and it is not pleasant. None of us want to have our scent arrive before we do, or linger after we have departed, but there are more important things in life. Some people have situations and conditions that make sweet smelling difficult.
In many ways, physical cleanliness is the outside of the cup. Recently I reached for a cup for my morning coffee and discovered that it was a dirty cup mistakenly put in with the clean cups. From the outside it looked pristine, but the white porcelain inside was dark with coffee stains.
Sometimes our outward appearance may be immaculate, but our spirits could still be full of sin and hatred. We are at our best when we are not just clean outside but when our whole soul is clean. Our scripture often used for Ash Wednesday reminds us “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”