A Lenten Reflection
By Kate Fester
Here we are in Lent–our third since the pandemic.
Lent–a season of Darkness. Wandering. Loss. Deprivation. Solitude. Quiet. No Alleluias. Waiting. And a couple of really “dark” days at the end.
Personally, I love Lent. ALL of Lent. I think we (as Lutherans, but as Chrstians) don’t always consider all the possibilities.
Darkness: I really value my sleep. So Spring Forward and that missed hour of sleep is not my favorite. But every year, during Lent, the days get longer and we literally emerge from that darkness, into glorious (and warmer) sunlight.
Wandering: Jesus wandered in the wilderness for 40 days. I admit that would probably not work for me. But wandering is a time that could be, in its own way, wonderful. I think about that hymn ‘I wonder as I wander… out under the sky….” If Lent is a time of reflection, devotion, wandering and wondering, especially out under the sky– well, what’s not to love?
Loss and Deprivation: Some people choose to “give up” something for Lent. (My maternal grandmother, a devout Catholic, gave up skydiving every year. She was NOT a skydiver.) The purpose, they say, is to experience this time like Jesus did- deprived of basics, alone. I like what we “lose” when we think about our 40-items-40-days. I “lose” something every day- but a loss to me is a gift to someone else.
Solitude: Time alone. This is a harder one for extroverts, for sure, but given the pandemic, I think even introverts might be feeling like we’ve had a lot of solitude. But I have to tell you that not all solitude is equal. I love those moments where no one else is around; when there’s no “noise” or distraction; when even the dogs are quiet. Could I do 40 days? Probably not; I am more of an extrovert. But solitude for me is solace, comfort. I relish even a few moments of quiet.
Quiet: My immediate family is on the smaller side; I have a 5 year old and 2 dogs. I cannot emphasize the beauty when it is quiet around here! But more than just the quiet that is the absence of noise; it is the chance to quiet my mind. This can be a real challenge- trying to “shut off” my to do lists; the worries about what I didn’t get done today; yet just the practicing is even a good way to get to quiet.
Waiting: You know, we wait during Advent, even though it is not so long, We wait then as we anticipate a great celebration. Christ is born! We also anticipate a celebration during Lent– so why can’t our waiting be as filled with anticipation as Advent? Easter is Christ risen– it’s almost a bigger deal than the first birth, isn’t it? We anticipate the miracle and the mystery- that great promise.
Alleluia: That’s a hard one to give up, and I know that it gets “broken” sometimes. But there’s some kind of magic I feel when we put those Alleluias away before Ash Wednesday and then when they always “transform” into the joy of Easter morning. Many of you have seen a lot of the interactions we’ve done in our children’s sermons. I love that moment when we get to respond “Christ is risen indeed- ALLELUIA.” It’s worth the wait.
For the pure joy and the magic of the music at the end of the seasons of Advent and Lent when the choirs sing and ring: Christ is born today; Christ is risen today!
And finally: the liturgical color. Advent is now pretty universally blue. But Lent is still purple.. How you can go wrong with purple?
I may be in the minority here, but I love Lent.
