Glimmers
April 11, 2014
“Through some moment of beauty or pain, some sudden turning
of our lives, we catch glimmers of at least what the saints are blinded
by…” (Frederick Buechner, Listening To Your Life, p. 169)
In younger days, I often made fun of Lent. “Lent? You mean
that fuzz that gets trapped in your belly button?” All in good fun and all from
the vantage point of an outsider.
Lent- the season that spans the Christian calendar from Ash
Wednesday to Easter Sunday, is not observed in many evangelical churches,
including the one to which I belong. There are several reasons for this,
historical and theological, that I won’t go into here. All that is to say, that
Lent has always been strange to me- strange in the sense of eating mussels, raw
oysters or bungie jumping. I just didn’t get it. I had never tried them either
and was pretty sure I wouldn’t like them if I did.
Ash Wednesday begins with the imposition of ashes-burned remains of
the prior year’s palm fronds from Palm Sunday. “Remember O man that dust thou
art and to dust thou shalt return,” is recited as the ashes are spread on the
forehead in a cross-shaped marking. Churches remove bright decorations for the
season and hymn selections reflect a somber, sober tone. “What a downer!” I used to think.
Over the years, I have gained many friends and colleagues from these more liturgical groups and, gradually, my understanding of Lent has deepened. I have come to appreciate the emotional movement of
somber reflection of these forty-plus days that contemplates the suffering and
passion of Jesus and explodes with joy on Easter Sunday. And I have also come
to appreciate the practice of “giving something up for Lent.” I did it for the
first time this year.
Giving up something for Lent is a way of participating in
Christ’s suffering. I used to ridicule the practice, scoffing, “how can giving
up chocolate for a few weeks possibly imitate the brutality of that?” Well, it
can’t, and it isn’t meant to. It is meant to stir reflection.
So this year, I decided to give it a try. Now, I’m not going
to tell you what I offered up, but suffice it to say it was no big thing. It
was simply something I enjoy, nothing immoral or even fattening for that
matter, just enjoyable to me. I can’t tell you how many
times I have been tempted to enjoy what I had given up and how badly I have
wanted it. I want it so badly because it is off-limits! Delayed, deferred until
Easter! But I want it NOW! This “no big thing” became a big thing by my telling
myself I couldn’t have it. And it has been much more difficult than I ever
expected.
So, to all my friends observing Lent in the true spirit of
the season, you have my new-found respect and humble apology.
Jerald
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