In the Wilderness
First Sunday of Lent
So many moments fold into this one.
A few weeks ago, my friend Shannon Schaefer wrote a stirring post on the baptism of the Lord. This week, we return to that moment in the first Sunday of a new season: Lent.
In Epiphany, the baptism is a birth narrative, as Shannon wrote: "It's a different kind of birth narrative, wherein the people of the story---past, present, future---are the family to which Jesus is born, and the prophet John becomes an unlikely midwife, handing us the Messiah. "
This week, as we begin the season of Lent and set our feet on the path towards the cross, this moment becomes a promise. The text reminds us of this, pointing back to the promise God gave to Noah in Genesis, "Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth."
As Jesus rises out of the flood of the Jordan, a voice comes from heaven and declares, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you, I am well pleased."
On the first Sunday after Epiphany, Shannon noted that "this is the moment of incarnation for Mark's gospel." This is the moment when the "Word of God is once again placed in the hands of the prophets . . . the God who entrusts self to human tellings."
On the first Sunday of Lent, this moment takes on a different sheen. It is still the beginning, but now it is the beginning of our path to Easter Sunday when the Word of God will be hanged on the Tree of Life. As a Catechist, I have had the privilege of walking along this path with many people over the last several years. Typically, I come across four kinds of Lenten travelers: those who are actively deconstructing the faith of their childhood, those who are actively reconstructing a child-like faith, and those who feel lost in the despair that so often comes between deconstruction and reconstruction. The fourth type are those travelers who have walked this path before and are returning to see it with new eyes.
As we enter into the wilderness with Jesus, which traveler are you this year? These aren't one-and-done phases---most Christians I know are usually actively reconstructing, deconstructing, despairing, or seeing anew some facet of their spiritual life. Oftentimes, all four things are going on at once---but usually one will rise to the top for a season. So, how are you embarking on this Lenten journey this year?
As Stephen Fowl reminded us last week, the life of faith is like "an invitation to your own funeral . . . the closer we follow [Jesus], the more we will die." Stephen goes on to say that "this is the death that leads to true life . . . our lives cannot be one constant demolition site."
So, where are you this Lent? Are you actively de-constructing something which was once the Gospel-truth? Are you caught in the despair that so often accompanies this demolition? Are you engaged in the hard work of picking up the pieces and building something new? Or have you returned from your wanderings in another place to see your faith with new eyes?
However you are engaging this Lenten journey, remember you are not alone. Jesus is in the wilderness with you, and so are we. If the darkness closes in and you feel lost and bereft of all hope, I pray that God will remind you of the covenant made with Noah - that never again would total destruction be visited upon the earth. In your darkest moments when the rain is pouring down and all hope seems to have fled, I pray that you will look up and behold a rainbow. In those moments, I pray that the words of God will come back to you and you will remember that you are beloved.
May the peace of Christ go with you, wherever God may send you.
May God guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm.
May God guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm.
May God bring you home rejoicing at all the many wonders God has shown you.
May God bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Amen.
Photo Credit: Luca Galuzzi