Dark sky
Photo by Dr Joseph Valks, used with permission from Freedigitalphotos.net
Lent is not an easy season. It’s more like an ecclesiastical version of going to the dentist. In most traditions it begins with the imposition of ashes and the solemn words: “Remember, you are dust and to dust you shall return.” It ends with darkening shadows of death and despair.
Lent has come to be observed as a long season for Christian instruction and spiritual renewal, with an emphasis on dying to a sinful past as a preparation for new life, just as Christ walked through death to the resurrection. A danger in observances of Lent is that they either wallow in the dark side of life, or “fast-forward” to a shallow ceremony of resurrection that has washed its hands of the messiness of the cross. Most people would prefer to skip from Christmas to Easter.
There is an irony here. The word "lent" comes from an Anglo-Saxon word referring to the lengthening of the days in "spring.” A season devoted to a pilgrimage through spiritual darkness is actually observed in a time when the days are lengthening, when it is gradually becoming warmer and brighter. Ashes/life – darkness/light – death/new life – a mixed message.
Lent is a time of self-examination and, let's face it, honest self appraisal is never an easy task. Impossible demands can make people feel guilty for not measuring up. Worse is the tendency to think that it is our works of faith that make us acceptable to God. Then, we are reminded in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God – not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” When we take the time to examine where God is at work, even in times of darkness, then a light begins to dawn that will give a clearer perspective on our daily lives. If you want light, look at the darkness. Guilt or grace in Lent? – a mixed message.
Lent grapples with tragic themes like foreboding, rejection, betrayal, and death. It requires us to come to terms with realities which can threaten our own existence. A sundial may propose that we “count none but sunny days,” but we know that “into every life a little rain will fall.” A light, airy spirituality that ignores the dry deserts of temptation, the valleys of the shadow of death, and the dark nights of the soul will never stand up against the hard realities of life. Even the beloved 23rd Psalm acknowledges the “valley of the shadow of death.” When we take the time to look a the risks we face and our own mortality, we begin to discover how precious life really is. Mortality or hope in Lent? – a mixed message.
There is no way around it, Lent leads us from ashes to a cross. Jesus said: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for me and the gospel’s will save it.” That is a ‘hard saying,’ and a mixed message! That is why the disciplines of Lent are designed to help us come to terms with the place of God in our lives and what we are willing to give to become a disciple of Christ.
The mixed messages of Lent can be a blessing. The Gospel has never been about easy answers to complex issues. Lent serves to provide for us an occasion to look intentionally at the whole of our life and our faith. It is an invitation to walk intentionally with The Master, learning from him, learning how to serve him, learning how our lives might be enriched because we are walking with him. We may struggle with what seem to be mixed messages, but in the end we may just be able to appreciate life and faith as a gift from God, and that will make all the difference when at last we are astonished by the glory of Easter.
The Rev. F. Richard Garland of North Kingstown, R.I., is a retired clergy member of the New England Annual Conference. This post is republished with the author's permission from a monthly email he sends to subscribers.