Ah, Lent

Lent is here. Again.

Here are a few observations on the first day, Ash Wednesday:

Centuries of bad practice have given Lent a bad name.

I have always advocated a joyous, almost cheerful, Lent rather than a grim Lent. Yes, it’s a time for reflection and setting of new directions (often termed repentance). But it’s intended to be a time of renewal, not self-flagellation

We have turned the idea of “giving up” something for Lent into a silly game. We abstain from things to learn their true importance to us. Giving up chocolate for 40 days might give me a powerful hankering for chocolate, but I don’t think it will help my spiritual growth.

That’s because chocolate is not a barrier to my relationship with God. Other things are. These are the things I should shun as acts of self-denial – both during a “test run” during Lent and as a life-affirming practice afterward.

It is possible during Lent to be overwhelmed by distracting obligations. For more about this, check out a blog post by a former Kansas City Star colleague, Bill Tammeus: https://billtammeus429970.substack.com/p/the-dalai-lama-a-grammy-reincarnation

The real kicker of Lent is that it reminds each of us of our own mortality. (More about that another time.) Kate Bowler has some powerful observations here: https://katebowler.substack.com/p/the-ache-is-not-going-away

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          Another giant has fallen. Jesse Jackson was a longtime advocate of human rights and a legendary protégé of Martin Luther King Jr. He may be best remembered for his mighty rhetorical affirmations: “I am somebody! I am God’s child!”

          Another passing noted: Robert Duvall, an actor who played good guys and bad, saints and sinners, with equal skill.