Lent is the forty-day (not including Sundays) season leading up to Easter. Traditionally, this time of the Christian Year recalls the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness. For him, this was a time of preparation; it was a time of deep reflection; and as a result of the first two, it became a time to resist temptation.
Like Jesus, whenever we allow ourselves a time to think deeply, whenever we remove ourselves from the many distractions life throws in our path, we simultaneously must confront the competing voices, both in our heads and all around us. Depth of purpose and focused, meaningful intention often generate push back. The superficial, the petty, the ambiguous and the angry all compete for their places when we take God’s call to a better purpose seriously.
Therefore, following the example of Jesus, Lent offers the good and highly spiritual challenge to listen more carefully, work more intentionally, care more deeply, and love more furiously. As we do so, may our journey in the direction of Easter prepare us more fully for the power of resurrection. Amen.
