The reason Christians observe Lent each year

Christians in liturgical churches around the world observed Ash Wednesday just a few weeks ago and began the important season of Lent.

I say "important" because Lent represents an annual season of our lives: the season of honesty and renewed faith. I say "important," also, because we need this season. We need to be called to honest reflection about our lives and our destructive ways of living, while we also honestly reflect on Jesus' sacrificial way out of his desire to save us from certain destruction.

If we did not need Jesus so badly to rescue us from our sin, we would not need Lent. Nor would we need Jesus. But we do. Yet, if we had to do it ourselves, we do not want to have to own up to our failures and our sin. We would rather accentuate the positive for ourselves, avoiding the darkness in our hearts.

Strangely, however, we also then often turn right around and berate someone else for their failings and live very hypocritical lives. This is a failure on all of our parts.

So, Lent is here and we, as Christians, should be most grateful. "Remember that you are dust," we said last Wednesday as we traced a cross on each other's foreheads with ashes.

"Remember that you are dust," God says, "and to dust you shall return." In other words, your life, in the end, is mortal and only temporary and, left to our own devices, we all would crumble in failure.

Even in this life, we often feel our lives are this fragile or vulnerable. If God were not in our life and if, in Christ, especially, God did not show us how deep his love of us is, all we would ultimately know is how temporary, sinful and hopeless life on our own is.

But, in Christ, God calls out to us and tells us his love of us is real. He tells us he is merciful toward us so we can open up to him and admit our sin, shame, fear and need. When we trust this and step out in faith and open up to God, a release happens in our hearts and the light of Christ's grace and forgiveness of us replaces the darkness. It strengthens us.

Christ speaks words of forgiveness to us when we admit our failures and our desire to be renewed and changed for the better. Our souls also start to hear God's promises of carrying us in our renewed faith and helping us in every way, particularly when we feel most fragile and vulnerable, and even beyond this life into eternity.

The gospel calls us to put our faith in our merciful God and to see, in Christ, the giver of grace to us as he sacrifices his life to save us ... from sin in this life and even from ourselves.

As you observe this important season of Lent, make time now to begin this way: Lord Jesus Christ, be merciful to me, a sinner. Let your grace free me to admit to you my sin, those ways of my life that I am hiding and that are darkening my heart and that, if they came to light, would be damaging to others and to me.

I want to be humble, not arrogant or less-than-honest. At the cross, you have given everything for my sake. How can I repay you? I cannot.

So, I pray, surround me by your grace and, in your mercy and forgiveness, remove my sins from me and renew me to serve you and all people in new faith, a changed life and gratitude.

Amen.

Blessed Lent to all of you.

Andy Smith is senior pastor of Lutheran Church of the Cross, Nisswa.