The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, on March 2.
While our staff and other leaders were busy making plans a few weeks ago, someone jokingly asked, “Can’t we just skip Lent this year?! It feels like we’ve been in Lent for two years straight!”
To the extent that Lent is about self-denial – giving up luxuries and much of the frivolous noise in our lives – life has indeed felt rather “Lenten” since March 2020. But self-denial is not the purpose of Lent. The purpose of Lent is to turn down the “noise” of the world so we can listen more intently. The purpose is the deep renewal of our relationship with God as we follow Christ along his Way of suffering, sacrificial love.
It may be that our life is still simpler and quieter than it was before the pandemic (and it may not be); but have we used more of whatever time and space we have in this life, as the song from Godspell goes, “to see [God] more clearly, love [God] more dearly, follow [God] more nearly, day by day?” Or do we just numb out to the pain of the world and the hole in our soul with more Netflix or an extra cocktail?
Lent is a time to feel the pain of the world; to open up the hole in our souls, and invite God in. Easter is coming, friends! But it’s only when we wake up to darkness, that we truly appreciate the Dawn.
This comes with Love,
Mo. Sarah+