Lent II
The Rev. Kwasi Thornell
“Giving Up Is Hard To Do”
When I was a child, I was encouraged to give up something for Lent. Something I would really miss for the forty days of that special season. I was also encouraged to put some of the little change I earned with my weekly allowance into a little constructed paper box called a “Mite Box,” named after the story in Luke about the widow who made a significant sacrifice in her offering to God. Doing both of these things as a child was a real sacrifice in those days.
Lent was a special time as I remember it during those simple years of my growing up. We knew that whatever sacrifice we made for those forty days would be generously rewarded at the end with an Easter baskets full of candy, colored eggs, chocolate bunnies, bright yellow marshmallow baby chicks, and lots of jelly beans. So giving up during those days had tangible rewards at the end. Giving up then was not so hard to do. What happened to those good old days? I miss them.
Now that I am all grown up, with my own adult children and grandchildren even, giving up something for Lent is very hard to do. Actually, at first, it’s not so hard, but by the second day or two, it gets to be a real challenge! Even if I replace giving up with taking on, it’s still hard to do for forty days.
Adults are called to give up serious things like eating, drinking, or smoking. We take on good deeds, exercising more, reading scripture daily, smiling at our co-workers, being more patient, calling our parents or loved ones more often. We give up procrastinating, using harsh language. We take on spending more time with the family or spouse and watching less TV. You can see why these challenges seldom make it more than a few days. Lent for adults in no fun, especially since at the end of the forty days there’s no Easter basket filled with goodies and the giving up of sweets and alcohol did not reduce the waist line by any significant measure. When you know the end isn’t going to be as rewarding as you remember it being, giving up as an adult is very hard to do.
Let me suggest that the real purpose of Lent is not necessarily the giving up or taking on daily practices. The real purpose is so that we can spend a little time with Jesus. Time that we can focus on Him. Jesus teaches us a lot about focus. In the gospel reading from Luke 13, Jesus responds to the Pharisees who tell him to run from Herod who wants to kill him, “Go and tell that fox for me,” Jesus says, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work.’” Jesus is saying I am a man with a mission and I have to stay focused. Many wanted to distract him and get him off his mission.
Lent is about focusing on Jesus. You see, all Jesus really wants is some of our focused time. Uninterrupted and undistracted time to be with him during these forty days. Time to reflect on his life and deeds and teachings. Time to be still and listen for the voice of his father speaking to you as God spoke to him. Giving time is not always easy during our busy adult lives, but this is what I now believe Lent is all about. Focused time on Jesus. So forget about giving up and taking on all those adult things. This Lent, just be still for awhile each day and listen for the voice of Jesus speaking to you of his love. Speaking words of healing. Speaking words of direction for your lives. Each day, take a little time to be still and let God give you life, so that at the end of the forty days you can say as in the gospel, “Blessed is the one who comes in the Name of the Lord.” You will find that taking time to be with the Lord is really not so hard to do and at the end, it really will be better for you than that Easter basket filled with gooey stuff!