The Journey of Lent – NTNL Synod ‘Page One’ Perspective

THE JOURNEY OF LENT – From Ash Wednesday to Easter
We often talk about life as a “journey.” From its beginning, life is a continual movement through time and space. We make choices of direction; sometimes we feel as if we have fallen off the path. We are never completely sure where it is headed or where it will end. There is a sense of adventure, of possibility, and of the unknown. Sometimes there’s a sense of danger. But we press on – in the company of family and friends, with the limited hope, faith and skills that we may have to handle what may come, with sadness when things don’t go as hoped, but with confidence that God is gathering all the scattered pieces of our life into a meaningful whole. We affirm that life is good. God is good.

Lent is this kind of journey. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday (February 17) and ends with Easter (April 4). It spans a distance of 40 days (not counting the Sundays – which remain “little Easters” even during Lent). Lent places us on a path that begins in a somber remembrance of our mortality (the ashes worn publicly and shamefully); it ends in a joyous remembrance of our immortality (Easter resurrection). We begin hearing the sobering words, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you will return,” and we end hearing the victorious words, “I know that my Redeemer lives.”
Lent gives us the chance to reflect on the journey of life and on ourselves. It helps us think about life’s limitations and missteps. It leads us down a path that shows us what is good, bad and downright ugly about our human nature. We begin to see ourselves reflected in the experiences of the friends and foes who surrounded Jesus on his earthly journey. We see how easy it can be to stray from the path that we meant to be on – even fall off it entirely. Lent helps us be honest about ourselves.

But then the journey of Lent brings us to the foot of the cross. The 40 days have made us ready to really see Jesus. We see Jesus as victim of all that can be vile and destructive in human nature, yes. But we also see him as someone so empowered by love and so motivated by his devotion to humankind, that he was willing to take his proclamation of grace and forgiveness to the pulpit of a cross. From there he made the loudest and clearest declaration of his hopes for human community that is transformed by forgiveness and grace. We see his willingness to take the worst the world can dish out and turn it into a blessing.

And so Lent and Easter make it possible for us to press on. Only now we do so in the company of family and friends who have also been moved by the transcendent love of God. We travel with new hope, knowing that the unknown future is now known in Christ. We are moved to use all the faith and skills that we have and to make a difference in life as Jesus himself did. We find that we are people of purpose and direction again. The path is leading us home – to life forever within the love of God.

“Page One” produced by Pastor Stan Meyer, NTNL Synod Bishop Assistant
To download this and other Page One articles in MSWord format, go to www.ntnl.org/news/page one