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Lent: The Time for Turning
Bonnie LeMelle Abadie
When I was a child, I looked forward to the changing of seasons. Perhaps it was because growing up in South Texas, the seasons are basically two: cool and really hot. Still, I would look forward to all the new things associated with the changing seasons: putting away the sweaters and jackets, shopping for new clothes when last year’s favorites had been outgrown, and getting to play outside again until dark which came a little later every day. When we were children, it was easier to see how we were changing, as adults the change is more subtle and perhaps even more difficult.
Each year we begin the Lenten journey with the reminder on Ash Wednesday: Turn away from sin and believe in the Good News. The time is NOW to put aside our evil deeds and turn to God whole-heartedly. Lent is a season of turning. Mother Nature knows this best of all. Cold gives way to warmth; clouds give way to sun. We behold again the budding leaf and triumphant flowering of grass and tree. From death springs abundant new life! If we apply the lessons of Mother Nature to our own lives: Lent is the call from God to "defrost" the chill which may have taken hold of our hearts; chase the clouds of sin away from our lives and begin again to be signs of hope and new life in our world. We know from experience that turning is not easy. Change makes us uncomfortable because we are such creatures of habit. Achieving "spiritual re-alignment" requires that we enter more fully the Paschal Mystery where we share in the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the Christ. Yes, even busy Parish Ministers are called to embark upon the Lenten Journey! As leaders, we are expected to be people of deep faith and conviction prior to our leading others into the ever-deepening journey with the Lord.
Defrosting the Chill.
The great Mystics remind us that the path toward spiritual growth begins with self-awareness. It is important that we take the time to ask ourselves such tough questions as: In what ways have I grown "cold" or indifferent to the world around me? In what ways have I taken for granted the goodness of God’s creation? How have I isolated myself from others? In what ways have I put my own needs over and above the needs of the community? How have I de-valued and de-humanized others? When we reflect upon these and other such questions, the warmth of God’s light begins to melt our cold hearts of stone, replacing them with warm hearts of flesh.
Chasing the clouds of sin away.
We know that sin means "missing the mark". We also know that sinning is a constant part of the human condition. Ours is a faith that provides us the wonderful opportunity to always begin again through sorrow, repentance, reconciliation and forgiveness. God’s forgiveness is like the winds of March that blow strongly and gently, ushering in a new season full of potential and possibility. We acknowledge where we are; assess where we want to be; express sorrow and regret for the "gulf" between the two. We then resolve with the help of God’s grace to again embark upon the journey that leads us closer to God. This journey requires that we daily "die to self". This death to self allows the seed of the Word of God to break forth, transforming us into new creatures.
Becoming signs of hope and new life in our world.
St. Paul reminds us, "Anyone who is alive in Christ has become a new creation". The power of Christ transforms us so that we can be light and life for the world. Jesus was born in a manger (the place where animals fed) and when he left this world, he gave us his body and blood to be our real food and real drink. In Christ, we become real food for the world’s hungers and real drink that satisfies the world’s thirst for God. We become for each other the presence of Christ who is alive in our world in and through us. We are emboldened to seek out those who are most in need of the Good News.
This remarkable transformation becomes possible if we, like Mother Nature respond to the call of our Creator. Here’s wishing you a grace-filled season of turning!
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