Reading Richard Rohr again this morning and came across this gem:

"Holier-than-thou people usually end up holier than nobody."

Oh my, is that good!

Reminds me of a story Jesus told in the Gospel of Luke.

Luke writes:

[Jesus] told his next story to some who were 

complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance

and looked down their noses at common people:

"Two men went up to the Temple to pray,

one a Pharisee, the other a tax man.

The Pharisee posed and prayed like this:

'Oh God, I thank you that I am not like other people -

robbers, crooks, adulterers, or heaven forbid,

like this tax man.

I fast twice a week and tithe all my income.'

Meanwhile, the tax man slumped in the shadows,

his face to his hands,

not daring to look up, said,

'God, give mercy.

Forgive me, a sinner.'

Jesus commented, 'This tax man,

not the other,

went home made right with God.

If you walk around with your nose in the air,

you're going to end up flat on your face,

but if content to simply be yourself,

you will become more than yourself.'

Richard Rohr is right,

"Holier-than-thou people

usually end up holier

than 

nobody."

This thought should free us from

all self-righteousness.

At least for today.