The season of Lent is almost upon us again and many of us will take up the challenge of ‘giving something up’. That’s good, but I hope that many of you will take up the Biblefresh Challenge to read through the Gospel of Matthew systematically during the Lenten period. Any of these things, however small, will build self-discipline into our lives and self-discipline is an important key in opening the door to holiness in our lives.
In this Lenten message, however, I want to focus on another historic perspective on Lent which is equally difficult for us. In the early Church the public confession of ‘serious’ sin (as if there were sins that weren’t serious), would lead into the Lenten fast and would be a period of self-reflection and penitence.
Forgiveness is hard. For some of us, believing we are forgiven is difficult. For others, forgiving others is nigh on impossible. For many, forgiving ourselves is a real challenge. Over the years I have become aware of another direction of forgiveness that smoulders away in many, some non-believers, others not, and it’s this – forgiving God.
I have come across this phenomenon a fair bit and the more I have lifted the veil on the subject, the more people have wanted to talk about it. As a Christian mother said to me recently, “I’m mad with God; I’m really angry. We did all we could to raise our children as Christians, we prayed for them, we talked with them, we took them to our church and today none of them want to know. What’s God doing?”
It’s understandable in one way that when we face things that have gone wrong in our lives, when we are disappointed, we blame God. Sometimes the psalmists get very close to this. I think God understands this. Certainly, this side of Heaven, we are just left with our questions. As Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 13, “Now we see but a poor reflection, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
Maybe this Lent we could reflect on where we are in this forgiveness business. We might ask ourselves if there’s someone we need to talk to or something we need to do.
One thing is clear to me: that God’s forgiveness, however, it manifests itself, when we experience it and when we offer it, releases energy into our world.
May God bless you with His Grace and Truth this Lent.
+Mike
March 2011
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