MATTHEW 5:29-30
Girolamo Savonarola was an Italian Dominican Monk from Ferrara and a fiery preacher. He was known for his prophecies of civic glory, the destruction of secular art and culture, and his calls for Christian renewal. He condemned clerical corruption, autocratic rule, and the exploitation of the poor.
In February 1497, he and his supporters burned thousands of objects such as cosmetics, art, and books in Florence, Italy during the Shrove Tuesday festival. They had collected these items over a period of time. This occasion came to be known as “Bonfire of the Vanities.”
Some people believe Savonarola and his followers might have found inspiration for their extreme actions in the statements of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount – “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell…” (see Matthew 5:29-30). But if we explain Jesus’ words literally, we will miss the point of the message – separation from whatever may hinder our salvation journey – whether they are physical, spiritual, innate or extrinsic.
The Bonfire of the Vanities made a great show of destroying belongings and works of art, but did it cleanse the hearts of those involved in the process? Only God can change a heart.
Today, we can put on another fire. Not one that will consume physical properties, but our hearts which counts more.
Create in us clean hearts, O God! (Psalm 51:10)
