Rethinking Lent

by

“From dust you came. To dust you shall return. Repent and believe the gospel.”

Lent has been understood as a season of penitence, reflection, confession, and prayer. It is closely linked to the word “repent” which can be defined as a “feeling of sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing.” (Oxford Languages dictionary via Google).  While “Repent” is the word most English translations have used to translate the Greek word “metanoia,” I have come to believe that this word is, at the very least, an inadequate and misleading translation.

Translations matter!

A literal translation of the word “Metanoia” would read: “change your mind”. This translation sounds superficial in a culture where we change our minds constantly, so a better translation, in our culture, would be “to have your heart and mind converted, transformed, renewed.”  Neither of these translations say anything about penitence, penance, or repenting. How then did we get from Greek “metanoia” to the word “repent”?

The problem, according to Tredwell Walden, is that the current translations can be traced not to “metanoia” but to the Latin word “poenitentia.” This is the word chosen for “metanoia” in the Latin Vulgate translation.  Once this choice for was made, “repent” became the favored translation in almost every English translation over the many centuries since. (The Genevan Translation and the Common English Bible are two notable exceptions). Concerns have been raised.  Some have objected. Very early in the Church’s history Tertullian argued for using the word “conversion.” He said: “in Greek, metanoia is not a confession of sins but a change of mind.” (Edward J. Anton, 2005, pp. p.32-33) Translations matter and choices of one generation impact the interpretations of the next.

“However, “metanoia” is so critical to the Gospel message, we need to think about the original word and try to recover more of its original intent.

Compare the two words repent and metanoia.  “Repent” looks backward. “Metanoia” looks forward. Repent focuses on past sin. Metanoia promises new life. Metanoia is action focused, hopeful, and constructive. The words “Penance, being penitent, repenting” simply do not do the word Metanoia justice. Can we not see how the one bogs us down while the other fills our hearts and lifts our souls?

Metanoia means seeing the whole world, including ourselves, with new eyes. In Christ we are given a new mind, a new heart, a new life, a new beginning. Metanoia looks forward in hope, not backward in regret. It is constructive. It is joy filled. It is a holy gift from a loving God.

We need a season spent focusing not on our failings but on a God who is alive, full of love and grace, welcoming all with open arms. A God able to heal our brokenness, renew our hearts and minds, eager to empower us for Godly work. A God like the God revealed in Jesus. 

There is a place for remorse in the salvation process. It is important to be honest in acknowledging the truth about ourselves. The pain we have caused.  The wrong we have done.  The good we have left undone. We are, indeed, not the people God created us to be. But it is also very true that God has more for us.

And let us think about the John the Baptist, what was the message that drew so many people into the wilderness to be baptized by John? Was it “Repent!?” Or was it “Metanoia!” – “come to God, be changed, be reborn from the inside out. God will help you.”

So many people today need to hear a word of hope, not a reminder of their worst failures.  People like the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with oil.  People like the woman Jesus met at the well in Samaria. People like Zacchaeus whose whole life was changed even before he said a word. Metanoia is the word for what they all longed to hear.

Jesus, like his cousin John, called people to “metanoia.” People saw Jesus healing - metanoia happened.  People heard Jesus teach - metanoia happened.  People saw Jesus die on the cross and return three days later - metanoia happened.  People heard the gospel preached on the day of Pentecost and metanoia happened like crazy. The Good News spread and the whole world was turned up-side-down. Metanoia was happening each step of the way.

Even now, new life miracles are happening all around us. God is touching hearts, transforming minds, and changing lives each and every day.

This is the miracle of Metanoia! It means so much more than simply to repent.  If only we could spend forty days meditating on that!

(Inspired by Treadwell Walden’s The Great Meaning of Metanoia: An Undeveloped Chapter in the Life and Teaching of Christ, New York: Thomas Whittaker, 1895)

Rev Childers is a clergy member of the South Carolina Conference and previously served as Director of Advocacy for the Imagine No Malaria Campaign and as staff with the UM Board of Church and Society. This post may be reproduced elsewhere with permission from United Methodist Insight. Click here to email for permission.