We are beginning the season of Lent. The church calls Lent “the springtime for our spirits”. It’s a time of freshness – a time for new budding life. Above all, the church tells us, Lent is a time for surprises – for reversals – for the unexpected to happen. We symbolize the surprising reversals Lent will bring into our lives by what we do here at this liturgy. We begin with ashes. Lent begins with ashes – but will end in Easter fire and flame. From ashes to flame -- just the opposite of what we expect.
God wants to astonish us – wants to stand us on our heads – wants to turn us and our world topsy turvy – upside down. I want to suggest two reversals – two surprises God always manages to work in the lives of those who are trying to follow Jesus.
The first reversal is that we learn – to our surprise – that we grow in the life God wants for us – not by adding on but rather by subtracting. We call it fasting. But the fasting God wants is that we fast from fear. The most repeated command in the entire Bible is God’s command: “Have no fear! Do not be afraid!” Fear-ful people cannot love. And a fear-ful church can never be priestly and certainly not prophetic. We are to fast from fear. As a church we must fast from fear.
A second reversal has to do with faith. Normally we speak of our growing in faith in God – which is only good and holy. But God’s surprise for us is that we are to grow in our sense of God’s faith in us. God trusts us. So much does God trust us that we are actually God’s ambassadors. God makes himself present to others in us and through us – but also and most importantly God makes himself present to others as us. Also, we are God’s children. We have nothing to prove. If God puts his trust in us as beloved children, should we not learn to put similar trust in ourselves and one another?
Less fear – more trust in our lives. God will work mightily in Lent to bring these about.
Le us be ready to be stunned and surprised this Lent. Our time for spiritual somersaults is beginning. Let us begin with ashes and await God’s fire and flame.
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