Lent began yesterday with Ash Wednesday. It’s been less than 50 years since Lutherans in the U.S. recovered the imposition of ashes in its Lenten observance. The ashes are a sign of repentance, being sorry for sin and intending to change one’s life. Talk about sin seems to be a turn off to some people, however the purpose of Lent is not to pound people about sin, but to assure them of forgiveness.

Trappist monk Thomas Merton wrote this: “. . . the liturgy of Ash Wednesday is not focused  on the sinfulness of the penitent but on the mercy of God. The question of sinfulness is raised precisely because this is a day of mercy, and the just do not need a Savior.”*

Maybe the way to understand this is that God is merciful, but we only appreciate that when we realize that we are in need of mercy. If we think, “I’m just fine, it’s the whole rest of the world that’s messed up,” we don’t realize our need for mercy. That’s a problem. It’s almost like saying, if I don’t take my temperature, I won’t know if I have a fever and therefore I won’t need medicine.

Lent gives us time to reflect the human condition, on our human condition. What’s gone wrong in my life? What do I need to change? How should I do it? But this reflection is only going to be healthy if we also reflect on God’s forgiveness. God so loved us as to send his only begotten Son for our sake.

The Lord is merciful.

Read Psalm 145:8 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

*Seasons of Celebration, p. 119.