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Day 15 - Brossez Votre Dents

from Ben​-​Them: a Tale of the Christ (2023) by Ben Swithen

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On washing your hands. The title, I now realise, is an incorrect French phrase I internalised in the late nineties.

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Birds do it, bees do it, even fifth Roman governor of the province of Judea Pontius Pilate does it, let’s do it. Let’s wash our hands to cast off dirt and purify, whether literally or metaphorically, and ideally brush our teeth as well. This is a fairly light episode of Ben-Them, as I felt yesterday’s required a palate cleanser and a hand-cleanser.

The ancient Israelites had a reputation for hand-washing and general sanitation, which is really an excellent reputation to have. Psalm 26:6, I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O Lord.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. - so says the epistle of James, so this is good guidance, at least before God.

Pontius Pilate washed his hands of the decision - doong what he knew to be wrong but politically expedient and claiming it wasn’t his decision. A jerk-ass decision, but still done in politics. The one bit of surprising non-hand-washing is in Mark chapter 7, when the disciples eat without washing their hands. Which broke the Pharisees’ taboos, and when people object Jesus gave them a very good and philosophical answer, but doesn’t really address the washing-hands part. Cleanliness being next to Godliness isn’t actually Biblical

Jesus never gets round to advice of hand-washing, but he did say something about how to treat yourself when fasting, which is very useful in Lent. Are you giving things up to a degree that grieves you? Well don’t make it too visible to others. He says this in Matthew 6: 'whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret'

There it is! Wash your face, shampoo and perhaps condition. Don’t go into conspicuously managed decline. I would add to this, don’t *not* wash your hands. Pant life and lunchtime need at least a degree of separation.

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from Ben​-​Them: a Tale of the Christ (2023), released February 22, 2023

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Ben Swithen Sheffield, UK

Ben Swithen is a person.

Here you can find their music - solo work, and a Doctor-Who- and-Cheese double-concept concept-album by The Potential Bees (who are a two- or three- person band), which forces both concepts into every song).

You can also find Ben Swithen on Youtube, but why would you even? ... more

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