Here’s how John R. Powers describes Lent in his humorous book, The Last Catholic in America. “Lent was a time of ‘give ups.’ At the beginning of the forty days, fathers would give up smoking and swearing, mothers would give up nagging, and children would give up sweets. A few more weeks and we’d all give up.” As a kid, I shared Power’s view of Lent. Confirmation class, choir rehearsal, Lenten service, and then some educational program made Wednesdays in Lent drag on until I was ready to give up. It wasn’t much better when I became a pastor, especially in years like this one where an early Easter made Lent start before I had recovered from Christmas.

In recent years, I’ve come to see Lent as a liberation rather than a burden. The time of Lent has always been for repentance. Turn away from sin and turn toward life in Christ. That’s freedom. We look to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and discover forgiveness. The weight of our sin is lifted.

Our modern culture doesn’t believe in sin. Our society acknowledges that there are some people who commit heinous crimes, but for the most part people only make little mistakes; nothing more than slight character flaws. Nothing that should be called a sin. When sin isn’t recognized, people carry it around with them like a backpack full of rocks. No wonder people are so miserable. God desires freedom for us, a life of hope and joy. Just repent, which literally means turn around. Lent is an occasion for turning around and journeying toward the loving Father, freed from the weight of sin by the grace of Jesus Christ.

Read Joel 2:12-14 and Matthew 11:25-30, and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne