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With spring comes new life, better weather, and spring cleaning. Lent also comes along. As I have probably told you before, the word “lent” comes from an Old English word lencten (related to “lengthen,” referring to the lengthening of days) that simply referred to the season of spring. It is fitting that days lengthen as we remember the Light of the World’s victory over sin and death and a future filled with hope opened up before us. The season also lends itself to some spiritual spring cleaning as we prepare for Easter.
No, our spiritual disciplines never earn us credit for heaven. We can’t overshadow the light of the resurrection, but we can cooperate with it’s grace. We can seek to listen more closely. We can try humbly walk more in sync with our God. (See Micah 6:8.) We can even love because Jesus loved us first! (See 1 John 4:19.) For forty days before Easter – not including Sundays which are liturgically each a kind of “little Easter” – the Church is encouraged to dust up on Ash Wednesday as we recall the old practice of sackcloth and ashes as a sign of repentance. (See for example Job 42:6, one of twenty-three scripture references.) We also remember the ash heap of our sin, hurting God, ourselves and others, and the dust that we are and to which we will return one day. (See Matthew 7:12 and Genesis 3:19.) Then, we get to work.
Perhaps we fast. Fasting can be giving up food or activity. As we “hunger” for these things, we might recall hunger in the world, our spiritual hunger and needs, and the needs of the world better. Or maybe we reflect on scripture and the story of Jesus more – study with others might be best. We could even seek to experience the suffering and death of Jesus in a new way through art, poetry, walking the Way of Jesus (also known as the Stations of the Cross) mentally or physically. In doing so, we hopefully will be graced with the gift of an enlivened Spirit as we better understand what Jesus has done for us. We might even serve or give more as we are called and able, loving just a bit more like Jesus. And as both Pastor Ethan and Pastor Anne have been recently reminding us, we could even seek some holy rest. Sometimes, we just need to be still and know that God is God as commended to us in the Psalms. Or maybe during such times of quite, we will hear a still small voice as Elijah did. One never knows.
Whatever you choose to do or not do, trust that Jesus has chosen to die for you. Jesus loves you and longs to share his life with you. Risk following him more earnestly and see where he just might lead you. Wherever that might prove to be, whenever Jesus decides to reveal himself more to you, I trust you will find joy on the journey. I pray that Jesus shines more brightly in both your days and at times of night.
Originally published in the March 2022 newsletter of Christ Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this post are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.
© 2022 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.
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