From the Pastor’s Desk::
This Wednesday we will celebrate Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten Season. We will be marked with ashes, and the words of the blessing, “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.” Turning away from sin and seeking repentance is the theme of the Lenten Season. Turning away from sin many times means a change of mind, a change of heart and a change of behavior. This is true conversion and conversion cannot be limited to a dramatic, once-in-a-lifetime, so called “born again” experience. Lent gives us 40 days of working on that conversion, so we can walk faithful in the footsteps of Christ through His Passion, Death and the celebration of His Resurrection.
Several years ago I wrote about anger, especially anger in our country. With the pandemic, with the presidential election a few months ago, it seems as if our nation as a whole as moved into a whole new emotion of anger. With anger comes a lack of trust, forgiveness and basic love. The belief that, “ I am right and you are wrong” dominates our country on many different levels.. Jesus came to save all people, regardless of their race or nationality, we are all made in His image and likeness. When we begin to look down on others because they do not look like us or speak like us, then we begin to look at them as not fully human. My father was among 12 million who fought in WWII to defeat the “master race” who believed they were better than anyone else and could do what they wanted.
This Lent let each of us reflect upon Jesus’ teachings of love and compassion. Let each of us treat our neighbors as neighbors, the stranger on the streets as Christ. Look into the eyes of a person of a different race or nationality than you and see the face and eyes of Christ. If there is anger in your heart, let the love of Jesus heal that anger. The healing of our nation will begin with one person at a time.
As ashes are placed upon our foreheads we are called to repentance, to renew the practice of our faith so that death will actually be the moment we meet our heavenly Father not in fear but in faith and love. During Lent let us put the anger, the anxieties and fear of the pandemic behind us and let us focus on the love and compassion of Jesus.