I know people who just don’t like the church
season of Lent. They say that it’s dreary, somber, and too focused on the
negative, namely our sinfulness. I’ve known it to be described as a “nagging
killjoy” as we talk about trying to change bad behavior and combating evil
thoughts. It can sometimes feel like a time of self-absorption and selfishness;
after all, it is a season in which we are encouraged to look inward and focus
on becoming better people.
Yes, this is Lent and it does often take a more
serious tone. And yes, we are encouraged to look inward; however, it’s with the
ultimate goal of looking outward. There is also so much richness and joy to the
season for which we often do not give it credit.
It is kind of like the Law. We have the Law and
some probably also describe it as a “killjoy” giving us direction as to how we
should live even when we want to go wild and do our own thing. But the Law is
in fact, a gift. It helps bring some order out of an often chaotic world.
Perhaps most especially, it shows us our sin and helps us to recognize that we
are in need of a Savior. It points us to Christ and the Good News of Jesus
through whom we come to have the hope of salvation and to know peace and joy.
Lent too points us to Christ and the Good News of
Jesus. We recognize our sin and know that we can’t do life on our own. We begin
to see that it’s not about us and our actions, but about Jesus, the One whom
God sent to take away our sins. This is how we are able to look outside of
ourselves and find joy in knowing that we can do nothing; Christ has done it
all.
God’s Peace!
Pastor
Darcy
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