Ash Wednesday

Jesus said, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before others (to be seen by them). If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (NIV)

Since this column will be out on Ash Wednesday, I would like to take this opportunity to shift gears and dive a bit more deeply into spiritual matters than is my usual approach, and to give readers who may be unfamiliar with church-life a peek into what we steeple people are up to.

Lent is upon us. I hear the voice of Andy Williams singing “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” but it isn’t Christmas I’m thinking of, it’s Lent.

Lent. The season of sack-cloth and ashes. The season of fasting and deprivation. The season many Christians seek to improve their relationship with God and the world. They don’t fast because food is bad, but to remember they follow One who said, “I am the bread of life.”

Not all Christians observe the season of Lent, of course, and that’s OK. We each have our own customs and cultures and contribute to the fabric of the Christian Faith that we are, in many ways, like the Technicolor Dream Coat Joseph wore (as I blend the Bible and the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical references here).

The Bible says that “in (God’s) house are many rooms …” I interpret that to mean there is a place for all of us; there is a place for each of us. That’s good news. That’s news worth celebrating! Whether we recognize or celebrate the season of Lent (which, by the way, simply refers to springtime as the days grow longer and warmer), our goal is to draw closer to God, and to reflect God’s love more and more in a world that is so sorely in need of love and care. We are invited to set aside our ego (which is often more curtain than window). That’s a tough challenge, isn’t it?

For instance, who doesn’t love applause? Who doesn’t love being appreciated and thanked for doing something nice? How many people – friends – have we lost over the years because we drifted apart, or the relationships seemed one-sided? Our egos may not demand recognition, and yet they can be so easily bruised.

I sit here writing this, realizing I have not sent a thank-you note to some people who put me up during a recent outing. I said “thank you” before I left, of course, but Momma taught me one should always, always, always send a follow-up note – using real pen and paper and a stamp. Even a Thank You card needs a personalized sentence or two. It is the TIME we spend that says Thank you; not the paper or the use of postage, per se. That small effort helps to build the relationship, doesn’t it?

It is nearly impossible to do an act of kindness (or righteousness) that won’t be seen by others, of course. It is also nearly impossible to do it so “ego-free” that only God will notice. I read what Jesus says (“don’t do things to be seen by others”) and I answer, “My God, that’s impossible!”

I suspect Jesus smiles and answers, “Yes, that’s the point.” If we think about it, the story of Lent is simply: I can’t. God can. I think I’ll let him.

I find I am happier when I realize I have fallen short of the ideal and have an opportunity to rectify matters. Others may not see it, but God does; that’s rewarding. I am happier when I do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do. Others may not see it. God does; that’s rewarding. Jesus invites us to let go the ego long enough to realize that (doing) so frees our hands. With hands free, we can place them in God’s, and that’s rewarding – more than enough.

Those who observe the season of Lent are invited to recognize that there are many things that distract us from being the kind of people God wants us to be, and none of us can ever perfectly be the kind of people God wants us to be, but we can do better (Good News!).

We have a season in which to practice these principles in all our affairs, and that’s a good thing in this, our valley.