Discipline
Which is your favourite part of the Christian calendar? Many would choose Christmas – a time for parties and celebrating the birth of our saviour, Jesus. For some, the great celebration is Easter. At Christmas we see the birth of hope as God entered his world in human form. On Good Friday we remember Jesus death on the cross where he took on and experienced the consequences of all the sins in the world. When we see ‘strategic’ bombing in places such as the Middle East, we see those acts of sin that Jesus died for – and the sorrow that God feels every time we hurt and injure other people. And it is not just physical injuries; it also applies when people are dispossessed, be it losing their homes or jobs or through breakdowns in relationships. At Easter we see the triumph of that hope in the resurrection of Jesus.
So what do we make of Lent – those forty days of self-denial before Easter? Are they just about self-denial or are they about growth and development? In the spring as the weather improves gardeners go into their gardens to prepare them for the summer. It is a time for pruning, for digging out the weeds and for planting for the future – and it is a time for hard work that will be rewarded in the summer. Lent is similar. It is a time for re-evaluation and change, and embracing the person that we should be. All too often we feel sorry for those who are suffering but we stand back, either afraid of what it will cost us to be truly involved, or just feeling hopeless and inadequate. However, it helps to recall that the Bible records that Jesus ministry started with forty days in the wilderness. Yes, it led to death on the cross, but also to resurrection and our salvation on Easter day.
Lent can be exciting and can lead to unexpected places. It is a time for exploration and challenging what we hold dear and value. It is a time for escaping from complacency. Where will it take us? It might be into prayer or local politics or even to the foot of the cross.
David Bradshaw, St Mark’s Church Leamington Spa
March 2008