While watching MSNBC today I saw a man with what looked like a smudge of dirt on his forehead. It seemed strange that someone wouldn’t have said something to him before he went on national television…and then I remembered it is Ash Wednesday…hence the smudge.
So here’s the thing about Ash Wednesday…I was raised Catholic so I am familiar with the practice but not a huge fan of it or Lent…which is the next 40 days…business days, which is kind of funny because I never thought of Jesus as using a work calendar. Lent is a remembrance of the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan…that’s awfully intense.
Now the reason I am not a fan of Lent is that it seems a bit oppressive to me. Lent is a time to give up a “vice” and I could see that…smoking, drinking, donuts…it’s a time to repent, pray, fast, and exercise self-control over our desires. I wonder what would happen if rather than controlling our desires we really experienced them and took action toward them? I am not talking about the desire to cheat on your spouse, or rob a bank, or harm anyone…I am talking about the desire to fulfill the dreams you have for your life…the little voice inside you that tells you there must be more, that you are more…to leave a job you feel stuck in and find a new one you feel passionate about, start an in home business selling something you love to create, playing an instrument or singing, or painting…or publishing a book and becoming a famous blogger. ☺ Life changing desires that we are too afraid to entertain…desires that terrify us and yet we long for them to become reality.
What about holiness? Holiness is another desired outcome of the practice of Lent. The focus is on repentance and our sinfulness. I believe we are excellent at telling ourselves how bad we are but what about our basic goodness? Why should we focus on our faults or failures? Why not look at our potential and promise? And I don’t mean some ego trip where we decide we are God’s gift to the world and we are all we want to talk about. I mean giving up any sense of superiority and focusing on the connections we all share as people on this planet and doing something to enhance those connections…to better the world.
According to the Bible love is kind, patient, doesn’t envy or boast, it’s not proud, rude, self-seeking or easily angered. Rather love rejoices in the truth, it trusts, hopes, and perseveres. Let’s practice that kind of love.
Instead of giving up something for Lent what about adding something to enhance your life and the lives of those around you? What about practicing unconditional love for 40 days? Allowing only unconditional loving thoughts in our minds…loving without expectations of something in return.
Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Maybe our pure heart comes as we practice and pursue unconditional love in every interaction we have and make it our guiding compass.
We create the world with our thoughts…let’s think unconditional love.
Kai Raines 