Thursday, February 25, 2010

Rethinking Lent


If you knew your life could save someone’s life, would you give it up for them? What does this quote from Jim Elliot mean? “She is no fool who gives what she cannot keep, to gain what she cannot lose.” These questions could be relevant in this time of the year as we go through this season of Lent. During these Forty days beginning on Ash Wednesday, we take time to re-think our nature and vulnerability in light of who Jesus is. Ash in the tradition of the Jews and the church is a sign of mourning, grief, humility, sorrow, sin, prayer and fasting. “You are dust and you shall return to dust” is the statement the church now uses when applying ashes on people’s foreheads.

However, this is not all about a ritual but about a life style. In Matthew 16: 24-25; Mark 8: 34-35 and Luke 9: 23-24, Jesus shares things that are related to our opening questions. Here is what he says: “If anyone wants to follow me, let him disown himself and pick up his cross and continually follow me.” He adds: “whoever wants to save his soul will lose it; but whoever loses his soul for the sake of me and the good news will save it.” Here are four things I would like us to keep in mind as we go through lent:

· Lent is a time to stop and think on how we have been living out our faith.

· Lent is a time to stop and take off what is not God’s.

· Lent is a time to humble once more time under the hand of God so that God take the lead in our lives.

· Lent is a time to remember that our Christian faith is a sacrificial life, and we should be ready to lay down our lives for the sake of God’s kingdom.

Be blessed as you go through Lent looking forward to Easter!

Rev. Emmanuel T Naweji

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