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Ash Wednesday |
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According to Gospel of Mark, Jesus, after being baptized in the Jordan River, was immediately compelled by the Holy Spirit to seek out the wilderness and solitude of the desert. In fact, Mark’s gospel says, “the Spirit…drove him out into the wilderness” where he was “tempted by Satan,” and he was with the “wild beasts” and “angels.” An interesting combination of hosts. Strange bedfellows for the Son of God. But we would be careless not to examine the relevance and message of this episode of Jesus’ life as we enter our Lenten season. For, indeed, the Lenten season is predicated on this event and our Lenten disciplines based on following the example of Christ during his forty-day journey of introspection and loneliness. Loneliness is an interesting word. It can mean without company or companions. Apparently, this was not the case with Jesus. He wasn’t alone in that sense, but was surrounded by the devil and his temptations, by beasts (and we can probably apply both literal and figurative meanings to that word), the animals as well as the emotional and spiritual beasts that would pursue anyone on an inner quest of the soul. And, Jesus had the company and consolation of angels—also guaranteed companions on any spiritual search. But loneliness can also mean lonely in situation or place, an “emptiness” inside ourselves, and even though this is often a place where tremendous growth can occur, and that, sometimes, empting ourselves is the only way we can fill ourselves, or be filled with something new, anyone who has been there, to that lonely place, knows it can be a most uncomfortable place, and a scary place, and a sad place. But, it is a necessary place, for all of us, from time to time. And that is why the Church calls us, and encourages us to come to that place, to allow the Spirit of God to drive us into that wilderness of self-examination, self-denial and self-discipline. Lent is the only time or season when Christians are called on to look inward toward self rather than outward toward others. An important time for preparing our Selves for what we are called to do in the world. To be Christ-like servants, loving our neighbors AND ourselves, to do the work we are called to do, to go in peace to love and serve, to go forth into the world rejoicing, blessing the Lord, to be the hands, feet, arms and legs of Christ, indeed, to be the body of Christ in the world. This time gives us the stuff we need to do that work. A time to make things right within ourselves. Claim that time and that place. The wilderness of Lent and self-searching generally won’t be an attractive place, at first. But if we approach it in the right way, we’ll find it to be the way of Christ. A way not free of suffering and hardships, but a way that will lead to inner peace and blessing and joy. I hope for you all the things the Lenten wilderness has to offer. |
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