Lent is a season of preparation; a time of intentional interruption to focus on God. At the commencement of this season, on Ash Wednesday, we are told,
“Remember your sins and repent.”
If you are like me, Lent is both refreshing and depressing. I try to break old habits and start new spirit yielding exercises, but then one day I sleep in too late, and I skip my morning Scripture meditation. It is then that I am reminded of the other Ash Wednesday proclamation,
“You are dust…”
and dust is all I feel.
The goodness of guilt evades my conscience and the full weight of my humanness blows upon me like gypsum-choking wind.
In this state of dejected remorse I am reminded of the words of Father Zosima, the Elder, in The Brothers Karamazov:
"There is no sin, and there
can be no sin on all the earth,
which the Lord will not forgive the
truly repentant! …Believe that God
loves you as you cannot conceive;
that He loves you with your sin, in
your sin. …Love is such a priceless
treasure that you can redeem the
whole world by it, and expiate not
only your own sins but the sins of others."
As you continue to travel through Lent, may forgiveness supersede your acknowledged guilt, and may you find the peace of God’s great love!
Grace,
Pastor Ryan
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