A Leap into Lent

On Wednesday I felt like I had suddenly leapt into Lent — was it really Ash Wednesday? It felt too soon, Christmas and Epiphany have only just finished. I had not long since taken in the festive lights from outside.

 

I’m not sure whether it is one of the side effects of getting older, but time certainly seems to have speeded up. The seasons ebb and flow with amazing speed. Yet, I have always enjoyed the everchanging cycle of life — winter, spring, summer and autumn, or liturgically speaking, Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost and ordinary time. 

 

In the previous paragraph I used the word everchanging, and so it is, each day is different. Yet considered as a whole, the cycle of life brings a stability, a rhythm, a certainty and that is something to be cherished.

 

As in previous years the first Sunday in Lent opens with the story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. (Matthew 4. 1-11) The story is in all three synoptic gospels with two versions carrying an account of temptations encountered. (The gospel of John has no mention of this story)

 

Jesus went into the desert after being lauded and baptized by John. I think an important principle is being established, one well worth heeding today. Whenever a new venture, ministry or vocation is being embarked on take some quite time to prepare. Jesus chose to go into the wilderness to spend time preparing and fasting. Jesus probably went to one of the ascetic Essene communities in the wilderness.

 

It reminds me a little of one of our mediations from the Desert Fathers and Mothers: “In Scetis, a brother went to see Abba Moses and begged him for a word. And the old man said: Go sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.” (Way of Living, 390)

 

I can imagine a cold, spartan cell where a tired, hungry Jesus spent a few weeks in spiritual preparation which result in some visions. And in the visions came the temptations. Temptation always comes when one is weak and vulnerable. 

 

I found it interesting that centuries don’t seem to have changed the way people are most easily tempted. Temptations still come in the same areas today.

 

In the wilderness the first temptation is about bread, a focus on satisfying bodily needs and wants. The next one is about safety and living as long as possible free from hurt. The final temptation is about gaining power and authority over others. (Interestingly, the Gospel of Luke changes the order of the temptations) 

 

This model of taking forty days to prepare for oneself spiritually, expecting temptations along the way makes a good focus and direction for any Lenten journey. Time and space to live a little more simply, to deepen and become more in tune with one’s spirituality and calling. Yet coming face to face with things in oneself which cause temptation. 

 

But it is not all hardship and gloomy — walking a Lenten journey, finding time for preparation can bring a deep peace and a deep joy. 

 

 "Don't worry about a thing, 'cause every little thing is gonna be alright,” urged Bob Marley in 1977. This was the year our first child was born — can it really be that long ago?  The song is still popular today having been re-released by several subsequent artists. 

 

Eleven years later Bobby McFerrin penned the now famous “Don’t worry, be happy,”. Another well-known favourite, as a bit of trivia, it was the first acapella song to reach number one in the pop charts. The song also won awards at the Grammys. The lyrics urge the listener to be happy whatever circumstances befall them.

 

These two famous songs have been echoing in my head ever since I read the gospel lectionary for this week (Matthew 6. 25-end). They express the same sentiments as the gospel writer — don’t worry about what you are going to wear, what you will eat or what you will drink.

 

 Yet, these are not small things, all three are essential to life itself. No-one can survive without food or drink, and in most climates, some kind of clothing to protect the body is essential. So, it is not just a quaint sentiment but a really deep thought. 

 

The rational of the gospel author is that one does not worry about these life sustaining items because God will provide them. It sounds great on first reading but if I am really honest — and when I write these blogs, I strive to be real and honest even if the topic is difficult — it simply doesn’t happen. God does not usually supernaturally provide food. There is only the story of manna in the wilderness and a couple of other tales where that happens. Nothing in contemporary society. Nor is clothing dropped from the heavens! So, I need to think about this gospel passage a little more.

 

This week I have been reading about, thinking about and talking about Aristotle’s golden mean and I am using that to try and gain some insight into this text. For those unfamiliar with the golden mean, Aristotle looked at virtues and saw how they fell between two extremes of deficiency and excess — pretty much the same understanding as the mean in mathematics. For example, if courage was the virtue, then the deficiency and excess could be cowardice and recklessness.

 

So, in the text’s context worry would be considered the excess so therefore I have been pondering what would be the virtue. I considered many alternatives to see how they would fit and, in the end, landed on ‘care’. If care was the virtue and worry was the excess what would be the deficiency, the other extreme? I spent much time pondering this, several conversations about it with +Andy, and ultimately came down to neglect.

 

Therefore, care is the virtue, with worry and neglect are the excess and deficiency on either side. As a practical example if a parent was allowing a child play near a river, paddling and skimming rocks. That parent could sit back on a blanket worrying about all the things that could happen, the child could get swept away in the current, the child could fall over and drown in six inches of water, etc. Or the parent could read a book or take a nap and completely neglect the child. Neither is helpful, what the child needs is care, to be able have a fun filled, safe and meaningful experience.

 

Now, I want to think about this in the context of the gospel. The explicitly stated excess is worry. The gospel writer implores the reader not to worry, stating that worrying will not add even an hour to their lives. But if the deficiency is neglect, somewhere in the middle is care. This fits well with one of the great Godly commands in scripture — love your neighbour as yourself. So, people care for themselves, but more essentially care for each other. If the virtue is care and everyone is caring for each other then all will be clothed and fed. Of course, that would be in a perfect world — but it is still a great aim. Don’t worry about what you will eat, drink or wear, but exercise the virtue of care for others. And back to Aristotle who urges his readers to makes the virtues habitual, so in this context build up the habit of care so it becomes a norm in one’s life rather than the excess of worry or deficit of neglect.

 

Last night I watched a harrowing news report on that terrible earthquake in Turkey and Syria — the death toll currently surpasses 33,000 and is expected to keep rising. Our prayers continue to go out to the families who have lost loved ones. As I watched the news clip, I saw ordinary people desperately clawing through the rubble in the bid to find survivors. What really stood out to me was that none of them was wearing gloves — how painful it must have been, yet all they were concerned about was finding any survivors. 

 

I’m sure they had some worry (they wouldn’t be human if they didn’t) or even they could have just been glad they survived and walked away neglecting others, but what I saw was care. Care for their community, care for their loved ones, care for friends and care for strangers as they dug through the rubble. Others interviewed, who had homes still standing, had opened their doors even to strangers to provide shelter and care. One person who spoke to the presenter had taken in 30 other families stretching very limited resources. People putting aside the excess of worry and deficit of neglect as they sought to care for others. For me this really illustrated the heart of the gospel.