Saint Andrew Events

To many people, Lent seems like an old-fashioned tradition from the superstitious and fearful “dark ages.”  We read of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. We call to mind people denying themselves worldly pleasures in order to have time to contemplate their sins.

It is true, these traditions are part of the complicated puzzle that is the season of Lent. At its heart, Lent is a season of contemplation. It’s a time to think about life and rethink our priorities. Jesus spent forty days in contemplation before beginning his ministry of love and compassion. Each year during Lent, we can also set aside time to refocus on our goals.

Even as the Church has lessened the emphasis of Lent in recent decades, our society has picked up many of the old Lenten practices.  “Dry January” is now a worldwide movement in which people avoid alcohol for thirty one days in order to feel healthier in mind and body.  Many exercise and diet plans have rediscovered the healthy effects of regular fasting – the practice of eating no food for a day or more at a time.  In our society which offers us so much instant gratification, it is a powerful practice to learn to discipline ourselves – to say yes only when we want to say yes, and not just when any random corporation wants to sell us more junk.

How can we rediscover this season of contemplation, this forty days of reflection leading up to Easter Sunday? There are countless ways:

Be thankful each day in a deliberate way – Take a walk and notice something beautiful every day. Record two or three things you are thankful for each day in a journal.

Do a good deed each day.  Make a list of friends and relatives you’ve neglected in recent months and reach out to them.  Once a week, instead of eating an expensive lunch in a restaurant, eat something simple and inexpensive then donate the difference to a local food bank.

Give up a bad habit.  Take deliberate steps to avoid too much screen time, too much junk food, too much time sitting on the couch. And then do something healthy instead.

Lent can be a powerful and life-renewing season if we use our imaginations. Just as Jesus faced temptation but was able to focus on his own priorities (Luke 4:1-13), we can take time to remember our highest priorities and then begin to live our lives following them.

In closing, I recently heard an old Sufi story about two people traveling together. After many miles they came across a garden – the most beautiful garden either one had seen. They explored the garden, wondering at the flowers and trees. Finally, the first person sat down in a quiet spot and closed their eyes to meditate.  After a few minutes, the second person nudged their friend and said, “Why are you sitting with your eyes closed when all around you is the most beautiful garden you’ve ever seen?” The first person replied, pointing to the flowers and trees, “The garden is not out there.” And then pointing to their heart, said, “The garden is in here.”

In this season of Lent, from Ash Wednesday until Easter, take time to tend to your own garden.