As I was listening to our pastors powerful message of truth at our Tenebrae service on Good Friday (we participated at home online) he mentioned that this was probably the lentiest Lent that anyone in our generation or younger have ever experienced. Lent, in the Christian church, is a period of penitential preparation for Easter. In Western churches it begins on Ash Wednesday, six and a half weeks before Easter, and provides for a 40-day fast (Sundays are excluded), in imitation of Jesus Christ ’s fasting in the wilderness before he began his public ministry. So, very often, believers and Christ followers give up something during Lent so they can spend more time focusing on Christ and his sacrifice for us and what it all means and what He means to us. This year, Ash Wednesday was on February 26th, exactly two weeks before the proverbial pandemic hit the fan. As an adjective, penitent means feeling or expressing sorrow for sin or wrongdoing and disposed to atonement and amendment. Repentant. Contrite.
As a result of the pandemic and social distancing and basically the whole world shutting down, we been forced into a fast. Fasting from eating out. Fasting from shopping. Fasting from going out for drinks with friends. Fasting from travelling to the tropics. Fasting from hosting lavish events. Fasting from parties. Fasting from concerts. Fasting from treating people badly because we aren’t seeing them. Some even going without flour and toilet paper. There are many in the world that never have these things – ever. So is it life as usually for them? And yet we feel so hard done by.
Since March 11, 2020 I have been rehired and laid off again from my job. Is there anything crazier than that? Well, yes, of course there is. We are surrounded by crazy on every side. Probably the most prominent crazy is the fact that we are self isolating to stop the spread of a deadly virus. At least that’s what they are telling us. There are many people that have very many different opinions about what is actually going on, but in my world, whatever is going on, I am inclined to obey the laws of the land and do whatever it is they are telling me to do. I am not here to debate. SO…..I self isolate.
And with this self-isolation comes plenty of time to reflect and to read and to study God’s word and to evaluate my character and growth. When one is holed up at home you are constantly surrounded by your stuff. As I peruse all this stuff, I have to ask myself “Is this what God had in mind?” Oh, there is nothing wrong with having a home and furniture and food and dishes to eat it off and appliances to cook it with and running water and flush toilets and clothes to wear for modesty, warmth, and comfort. And if you happen to be a person with a bit of style there is nothing wrong if you choose the nice stuff. Nothing wrong with travel (when its allowed). Nothing wrong with a good car. But I just happened to be sitting in my walkin closet while I was doing this pondering and I looked around and thought …seriously? The verse from Matthew came to mind “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth”. Then the verse from James came to mind “You have lived on the earth in luxury and self indulgence”. And the one from Luke “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”. And I had to ask myself…where is my heart? What is my treasure? When you are isolating or social distancing, you are also constantly surrounded by yourself. And I am not sure I am liking what I am seeing. And you start asking the big questions.
For me, the fruits of the spirit come to mind. Not because I posses them but because I am in search of them. Love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, patience and self-control. Does my home and stuff show an abundance of self control? Am I kind and gentle to people? Or am I more concerned about my image and insecurities? I found out, and I am not happy about this discovery, that insecurity is really a form of selfishness. And so this Lent, I (many of us) have been forced to take a good long look at our lifestyle and how well it was serving us…or, rather, the Creator.
James describes true religion as this: to take care of the widows and orphans in their need and to not be polluted by the world. But its so easy to get caught up in the world. We are in it everyday and for whatever reason, we want to fit in. So badly. We don’t want to be ‘set apart’ – even through we are. We really should look or at least act different than those that do not have the peace of Christ in their heart. Is my heart so cluttered with materialism that I can’t find the peace? Is my heart so selfish that I don’t think of others as better than myself? What am I running after? Or what was I running after before I was forced to slow down or basically….stop. Before the Lord got me to stop long enough to listen and take stock.
Now that I have had this time to reflect, and it looks like I have more time to evaluate, I want to make sure that I don’t go out of this crisis the same way I came in. I truly have realized how out of control my life was getting. Running hither and thither. Thinking I need that. Thinking I need to do that? Thinking ‘what will people think?’. Thinking I’m not living up to the status quo. Try harder. Run faster. Sink lower. Grasp whatever you can with your grubby little fingers. Compare yourself to everyone and make sure you always come up short. Quiet is good. Peace is nice. Slowing down is healing. This time we been given is a gift, when you really think about it. Lets not squander it. Let’s extend Lent this year.
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The Red Plaid Apron 