For many a Christian today marks the start of Lenten. It is after all Ash Wednesday and for those of you who don't know it isn't meant as a day of recovery from Mardi Gras. Ash Wednesday is the first day of the 40 day period in which we are meant to prepare ourselves for the Easter miracle. It is a time of prayer, penance, and fasting.
Traditionally we give up something that is a part of our lives. It is meant to remind us and bring us closer to god. I've made some small sacrfices, count them as red meat and swearing. I've also made some greater sacrifices, such as chocolate and caffeine ( if you knew me you'd know that is a big deal). People give up all kinds of things, although most people I know give up something material.
This year I have chosen to give up negative thoughts and judgements(I'm also including chocolate in there as as side bet). I know that the negative thoughts and judgements will be a challenge for me. I realize the injustice of the world and am quick to become negative. My goal this year is to refrain and retrain myself from becoming negative but instead take those injustices and fight for a better equality.
I have found that 3 principles are helpful to this pursuit.These priniciples which come from both Christian and non Christian teachings are as follows:
1. Do for others as you would want them to do for you, even if they may not seem to deserve it (I think the last part is particularly important in this process)
2.Only those free from sin and wrong doing should judge others( this is a combination of some teachings but it is how we present it in our group study)
3. If we adopt the view of compassion and love for others than we will see the world in a more compassionate and caring manner.
The first two should be clear to most of my Christian friends. Infact I doubt there are many people out there that have not heard of these ideas at some point in their lifetime. The third one is something I ran across recently when I began reading a text by the Dalai Lama. It seems like a fairly simple idea doesn't it. That we have more to do with our own happiness than do outside factors.
As I was reading earlier it is not by accident that this time was chosen for us to begin the Lenten process. It is a period of rebirth on much of the Earth. It is a time when the long, cold nights start to get shorter and shorter and the sun begins to brighten the world around us. Can we not say the same for our spiritual world. Can the long, cold nights of our problems not be shortened by the increasing love and faith of the light of God?
If everyone sat out each day to do just two acts of kindness for someone, without expecting anything in return, wouldn't we see a glorious change on this Earth? Wouldn't the world in which we live become more tolerable? I honestly believe it would. If we gave from our hearts and not our wallets wouldn't we be able to move mountains? I truly believe that we would. If we looked on that drunken welfare momma with the compassion that Christ looked up us wouldn't we be more willing to give her money to help he feed her family.
Yes we all have choices. I challenge a single person to say that they have lived according to god's law fully. I surely know I have not. I also know that it has been those people that spread the love of god that have made the most impact on me. Not the ones preaching for you to repent but those preaching that god loves you and will help you if you come back and trust in him. After all isn't the old adage of you catch more flies with sugar water than salt water true???
So as I begin anew this season of promise I am going to chronicle my journey of change. I hope by the end of these 40 days that I will have made significant changes in my life. I challenge all of you to give up something too...even if it isn't for Lenten!!!!
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