There's been much discussion of Lent these days on UU blogs. I find that wonderful. As someone who finds the Lenten season more important than any other season in the liturgical year, I like the fact that UUs are actually talking about something that is explicitly Christian.
Anyway....the passage in Mark (1:12-13) that tells of the journey into the wilderness says:
12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
Jesus, these verses say, was DRIVEN into the wilderness. What does it mean to be driven like that? And to be surrounded by wild beasts yet have angels waiting on him. Wouldn't that have been a sight to see?
It was after this time in the wilderness that Jesus starts his public ministry. It was his public ministry that brought him to his death.
My parents taught me the saying that I'm using for the title of this post. You must stand for something or you will fall for anything. This is part of the reason that Lent matters to me. Jesus stood for something and was willing to die for it. What would I be willing to stand up for and die for if necessary?
In these days, what is the wilderness? What are the wild beasts? Are there angels out there wanting to wait on me?
These are the questions of Lent. And that is why Lent matters. (at least to me)
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Allow me to point out that sometimes U*Us stand for something that U*Us should not stand for. This can lead to U*Us "falling". . .*
*Feel free to insert the word "people" where you see "U*Us" as this principle obviously has a much more universal application. . .
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