It has been a very long long winter, and I am ready, so very ready, for the turning of the season; ready for the sun, and green shoots poking from the earth, the smell of rain and vegetation--new life, new beginnings, and spring. That is the spirit I bring to Lent, and it is the reason Lent is my favorite time of year--because I come to it always so weary, so ready for change.
Welcome to Brothers and Sisters, the weekly meetup for prayer* and community at Daily Kos. We put an asterisk on pray* to acknowledge that not everyone uses conventional religious language, but may want to share joys and concerns, or simply take solace in a meditative atmosphere. Anyone who comes in the spirit of mutual respect, warmth and healing is welcome.
Lent is usually thought to be about repenting of our sins, acknowledging what we've done wrong and fixing it. But to me it feels less like repentance and more like a course correction. Because, you know, life being what it is, it's been too long--maybe a whole year--since I've thought about where I was going, and about where I want to end up. I started off--hmm...guess it was last Lent--in the right direction, but I got distracted by some shiny objects. And I got blown off course by a couple of nasty storms. And now--well, now I'm all turned around, and I don't know which way is up. I'm not sure how to get back on track again.
So for me, Lent is about getting rid of a lot of distractions, so that I can once again hone in on that divine gps, and start to find my way back. It's about figuring our how to get to my heart's desire--ultimately, union with the Divine--and taking the first steps to getting there. It's about, perhaps, turning away from the easy road, and taking the harder, more satisfying path.
The Sea's Wash In The Hollow Of The Heart...
Turn from that road's beguiling ease; return
to your hunger's turret. Enter, climb the stair
chill with disuse, where the croaking toad of time
regards from shimmering eyes your slow ascent
and the drip, drip, of darkness glimmers on the stone
to show you how your longing waits alone.
What alchemy shines from under that shut door,
spinning out gold from the hollow of the heart?
Enter the turret of your love, and lie
close in the arms of the sea; let in new suns
that beat and echo in the mind like sounds
risen from sunken cities lost to fear;
let in the light that answers your desire
awakening at midnight with the fire,
until its magic burns the wavering sea
and flames caress the windows of your tower.
Denise Levertov
What longing waits for you at the top of the tower? What new suns would you like to let in?
Patient God...what I want is passionate days,
wondrous days,
dangerous days,
blessed days,
surprising days.
What I want is you!
Ted Loder, Guerrillas of Grace