This week begins the Christian season of Lent, the 40-day spiritual journey that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter morning. It was created by the early Church to mirror the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert in preparation for his divine mission on earth. In “the wilderness” Jesus wrestled with the hard, existential questions of what it means to be human and divine. Who was he truly? What was he here to do? Who was God and what did God promise him? Following in Jesus’ footsteps, Lent offers us the opportunity to check in with our own hearts. Are we focused on what truly matters? How generous are we with our love? Day by day, is the world better because we are in it?  What do we really know about God? How well does God really know us? Thankfully, God is not looking for perfection, just a willing heart.

There is life to be lived, meaning to be made, a God to be known. Yes, we are dust, but we have the opportunity to prove we are so much more!

Lent is an invitation to close the distance between who you are and who you know you can be; between your material existence and your spiritual longings; between your tender heart and a most loving God. Most of us associate Lent with the spiritual tradition of giving up something. But I’m not sure giving up my favorite dark chocolate will move my spirit. I have another idea! C.S. Lewis wrote, “Look for Christ and you’ll find him and with Him everything else thrown in.” For the next six weeks, your mission is simple: Look for God and any little bit of holy in your mundane, ordinary life. For the next forty days, we are going to document the glory. It could be spying beauty in nature, a moving piece of music, or a line in scripture. The best is a showing of mercy or any kind of exchange of love. Come to the end and you and I will have all we need to prove that the world still belongs to God, no mater how upside down and chaotic it may appear. Just imagine how it will lift our souls collecting evidence of goodness, beauty, and signs of hope. The scripture from James 4:8, “Draw near to God and God will draw near to you,” will become our new reality.

Jesus’ journey into the wilderness began with a blessing from God: You are my beloved, with whom I am well pleased. This is the greatest truth of our existence: We are first, now and eternally loved by God. Begin every day with these words blessing your unique path and step forward with fresh confidence.

Loving God, thank you for gifting us your son, Jesus to show us the way of love. May we follow in his footsteps moving closer to You and what truly matters.

A most grateful Amen.