Getting it right

Lent began last Wednesday, and Sunday will be the first Sunday of the season.  At this point in the 40-day journey many of us had ashes imposed upon our foreheads and heard the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  Now we’re struggling with Lenten themes that range from what we will give up and sacrifice to enhance our spiritual discipline to the bracketed voting for “Lent Madness” to see which of our favorite saints will arrive at Holy Week and Easter wearing the proverbial “Golden Halo.” 

For me my Lenten discipline actually began last Sunday on the Last Sunday of Epiphany.  In the course of a congregational visitation I was with the wonderful folks at St. James’ Church, Portsmouth, Virginia.  After the worship was over I engaged in a parish hall conversation with about 25 members of that congregation.  What started out as a general Q&A dialogue quickly turned into something much more when we began to discuss the state of racial reconciliation in our world, our country, our state and in our diocese.  God bless the people who make up this congregation!  Gently, yet firmly they led me to the inescapable conclusion that when it comes to getting the races together, we have work to do.  Their message to me was clear, and I heard it – to the point that it was “inwardly digested.” 

My Lenten connection with that conversation began with my reflection upon the chief end of the season of Lent.  As always I have understood it, the object of the season is, as is stated in the Book of Common Prayer (page 265) “…self-examination and repentance.” To me this means that during Lent I will spend time looking at myself in the mirror as a way of turning my life back toward God in hopes of getting in a right and good relationship with God.

During my years as a Navy chaplain I developed some very rich relationships with evangelical Christian clergy.  On more than one occasion they could be heard telling me that they were both gladdened and surprised to discover that Episcopalian Christians have the season of Lent.  They were surprised because as they observed our rather staid outward Anglican appearance they didn’t think that we would have the reflective impulses to get our lives, as they said it, “…right with God.”  They learned that in and through Lent we do have those impulses.

For me Lent is about getting “right with God,” or “right with Jesus.”  At St. James’ Church last Sunday, the members of the congregation taught me that I can’t be in a right relationship with Jesus when I am not right with my neighbor.  As my evangelical friends and colleagues believe, so do I believe that if we want to be “right” with Jesus, then we must begin to work on being in a right relationship with our neighbors, particularly when the color of their skin and their country of origin differs from mine.  

In Matthew’s gospel it is recorded that the Pharisees asked Jesus, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”(Matthew 22:36, NRSV) Jesus’ response was that first you should love God with all of your heart, soul and mind.  Then the second commandment was that you should “…love your neighbor as your self.” (Matthew 37-38, NRSV) If Jesus was right, and I think he was, that leads me to put reconciliation with my neighbor right on the top of my Lenten list.  What about you?

+Jay