Being an Ambassador for Christ

 This is at the heart of our Lenten journey, and we seek to continue proclaiming God's work. This is the work of reconciliation, where we seek not to identify our faults but rather the desire to be reconciled with God. This is contained within the proclamation of St Paul to the Corinthians, where he states, "For our sake God made the sinless one into sin, so that in him we might become the goodness of God (2 Corinthians 5.21). " This statement deserves to broaden our understanding of the radical nature of the incarnation. God seeks to transform our inner nature from an addiction to sin into a life that proclaims the goodness of God.

In the parable of the prodigal son, we discover a God who seeks us out even when we become distracted from the central mission of our life or become resistant to a life-giving relationship with God. He confronts both of his sons' ability to distance themselves from God. Both seek to inherit the goodness of God's creation for their own benefit. The younger son aims to take possession of this goodness to support him in his own lifestyle that distances him from God by indulging in behaviours that focus solely on his own pleasure. The older son seeks to take possession of the goodness of God by keeping the rules, but centres on what he is doing rather than the relationship with the Father. Yet we notice that God does not judge either of them but seeks to go out to meet them along the way. God provides and invitation to the feast of reconciliation. 

In our Eucharist, we discover bread for the journey. God will provide what is necessary to draw us into a life-giving relationship. At the heart of our journey, we are called to be reconciled, healed and nourished by God. When we adopt this sacramental way of life, we discover a God who meets and welcomes us home. God seeks to liberate us from the culture of death that focuses solely on our own needs. God presents a culture of life that proclaims the goodness of God to the whole of creation.

Where is our promised land?

 As we enter the midpoint of Lent, our minds and hearts can start to focus on what happens at Easter. A longing that yearns for something to celebrate in the desert arises within us. These noon-day devils can cause us to lose focus and wonder what is over the horizon, just out of reach. St. Paul reflects on this in the letter to the Corinthians when he noticed that our thirst and hunger can make us consume things that will not lead to our overall spiritual health. In particular, he warns about the spirit that complains about not being satisfied with the good things that God provides. 

In the burning bush, Moses starts to recognise that he is standing on holy ground. He encounters God in a new and unexpected way. This revelation is not solely for his good but also to help others journey with him. Similarly, Lent is never just about our own needs but how we accompany each other towards a future that can not be possessed, but that frees us to trust God more deeply.

This calls us to allow us to draw from the waters of life that are not simply to be refreshed for ourselves but to produce good fruit born by the spirit. As we enter into this midway point, let us encourage each other to seek God, who accompanies us even when we face the greatest challenges or the driest parts of our lives.

Knowing the unknown

 Half of our life is learning how to live and adapt to the vagaries of life. The second half of life is unlearning what we believe we already know. This can be deeply challenging because there is an inner desire to be authentic and genuine in how we interact with the world, God, and ourselves. Yet, as we grow older, we start to notice our inconsistencies, incompleteness and half-heartedness. There can be a longing to discover what will make us whole and holy.

In the Mountain of the Transfiguration, this story plays out with Jesus accompanied by Peter, James and John. Just at the point where Jesus encounters Moses and Elijah, it is as though Peter finally grasps who Jesus is as the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets. He gains an inner insight that wants to capture the moment by building three tents. He wants to be able to return to this truth that helps him discover that the divine life seeks to engage with our humanity. Yet, at the very moment of realisation, the disciples are covered by a dark cloud that hinders their vision and all their senses. They are deeply afraid that they can no longer see or touch Jesus. All they hear is the voice of God echoing the words spoken at the Baptism in the Jordan, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him."

This is often how we enter into Lent, where we are called to enter into the cloud of unknowing, where Jesus is obscured from us so that we can clearly hear his voice free from attachments. This can disturb us to be known even in our darkest nights when we surrender everything to God. Our listening transforms us and allows us to notice how we are changed from the inside out. It allows us to conform to Christ, who fills the spaces that make us more fully human and alive.

A long loving look at the real

 As we enter into Lent, we can become aware of what distracts us from living the Christian life. In our prayer, fasting and almsgiving, we can notice how we can seek to control external events, situations and things that influence our lives. This attention can easily consume our time, resources, and efforts to pursue outcomes that do not nurture us or feed others. They appear like real phantoms in the night but disappear like a morning mist. These disturbing experiences can both frighten, perplex and bewilder us as we seek to focus on what will bring us into a loving encounter with God.

What we notice is that there are three possible distractions in daily life. The first is trying to turn something tangible into a different substance. When we see ourselves hungering for something that will sustain us in life, we can seek to manipulate people, situations or experiences into a shape that fills our own appetite. This can rob us of noticing how to be present to the goodness of their natural way of being. Thus, bread is bread, and rocks are rocks. Each has its purpose but cannot act as a substitute for the other. This calls us to work with what is to hand rather than wishing it was somehow different.

In a similar way, we can notice how our time can be focused on activities that rob us of serenity and peace. They become all-encompassing and become our sole endeavour in life. They seek to take a life of their own and take on a personality of their own. They can take us away from relationships that sustain us and rob us of the joy of celebrating the life entrusted to us. We can start to become driven rather than guided, tending to worship our work rather than being thankful for how we can cooperate with God's creative plan. 

Lastly, we can notice how we can take unnecessary risks to test out whether God truly loves us. Rather than asking for help, we can plunge into activity. There can be a headlong pursuit of seeking our own ends rather than seeking what will enable us to become who we are called to be. Often, there is an impatience with God that wants to make things happen rather than allowing things to unfold.

As we enter into this season, let us take a long, loving look at the real and notice how God guides our daily lives. We want to be thankful for the situations and people entrusted to our care. We must be open to what brings life and aware of a God who walks close by our side.