Learning to love
Ask most people “What is Lent?”, and if they have an answer, they will tell you about what they gave up as a child, or perhaps what they are giving up this year. But Lent is not just about what we give up – it is about supporting what we are cultivating within. It is about learning to love.
The Bible is a love story. From the beginning, God created humanity out of love, shaping us in God’s own image to reflect God’s goodness. Despite human beings turning away, God continued to relentlessly pursue the people God created. God called Abraham, rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt, sent prophets to guide God’s people back when they lost their way, and sent Jesus Christ to redeem the world.
Throughout scripture, God’s love is unwavering and unconditional. God is merciful, gracious, compassionate, faithful, relentless, sacrificial, and forgiving, no matter how many times human beings fall short.
And despite our best efforts, we do fall short. We speak about love, but our actions often betray us. Unlike God, our love is often conditional. We love those who are easy to love, but struggle to love those who are different, who are “other,” who are not like us. Instead of forgiving, we seek revenge. Instead of giving freely, we withhold. Instead of loving our enemies, we divide ourselves into camps of “us” and “them.”
Lent is a time not only to acknowledge our brokenness but also to allow God to cleanse, heal, and reshape our hearts so that we can truly love as He loves. A time to acknowledge the many ways we fail – not in despair, but in repentance that offers new hope and new life.
A cultivator, mechanical or hand operated, uproots weeds, incorporates them into the soil to make it better and aerates the soil. The plants themselves are left intact but have better resources to grow and are more able to withstand punishing storms and withering dry spells.
The practice of examining our hearts in Lent leads to repentance and, because God is forgiving, to reconciliation, not only with God but other people and a deeper love of God. We confront our very human failings not in shame, but in hope because God’s grace can transform us.
This Lent, our churchwide devotional is Living Well Through Lent: Cultivating the Fruits of the Spirit in Heart, Soul, Strength and Mind. You can pick up a printed copy or sign up to have meditations delivered daily via email (just scroll down until you see the heading “Sign up to receive each day’s reading via a daily email”. On Sundays, during the 10 AM Christian Formation hour in the Parish Hall, all adults and teens are invited to join in guided conversations as we discuss and share what God is cultivating in us.