Lent. The season of Lent is, to my mind, the most unusual season of all. Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany are filled with expectation, warmth, and wonder. Easter is full of joy. The Day of Pentecost is filled with excitement. Ordinary time (the time between Pentecost Sunday and Advent) describes much of my life—ordinary.
But Lent is different; it’s a paradox. On the one hand it is a quieter, more subdued season. The music is softer, the words are measured, the faces are reflective, the ashes linger. On the other hand, the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter is the most intense Christian time of all as we explore deep questions like:
·What does it mean to be me?
·What does God want me to do with my life?
The Basics. Lent is 40 days long (not counting Sundays). Ash Wednesday begins Lent and it culminates with Easter Sunday— the Day of Resurrection. Some folks give up something they like or a bad habit for Lent. I want to encourage all of us this year to put the “Do” in disciples and do something helpful during Lent.
Lent is not a time for splitting hairs about what we can or cannot eat or what we must or must not give up. Instead, it is more about a re-examination of what it means to be faithful in this time and at this place. Imagine! Doing Justice, Loving Kindness, and Walking Humbly with God.
Shalom, Paul