Lent is a period of reflection. It marks a shift in a pattern in the world around us, well-known at this point. The familiarity of coming out of winter once again and heading into spring is a comfort. Daylight rests with us a little longer each afternoon. Ice on the pond retreats farther and faster from the mouth of the brook that feeds it. The tight gray nubs at the end of tree branches have become buds, and they grow fatter in the stretching sunshine and warmer temperatures. The sun itself is higher in the sky during daily commutes and no longer causes what helicopter traffic reporters called a solar slowdown.
Inside we move plants to catch the changing path of the sun on counters and bookshelves. Some families note the passing of twelve months by marking the height of each child on a doorway. Kids and adults alike may be surprised and pleased at the growth in the younger members of the family when they compare marks and dates from the same month in the past.
If we look closely we will note each of these occurrences, inside and outside, every year. At other times changes will make us recollect what things were like just last year (“We never saw the sun until after Easter. It rained or snowed the whole month of March.”) The memory of a death, accident, or job trouble may be a sad bookmark of a time during this same period in the past.
Reflection at the time of Lent requires close observation of what is happening around us. It may yield the view or memory of another event. Noting what tracks are in the snow near the bird feeder might tell us what animals are coming around more often now than last year. We become more connected to the world. Whether it is in a desert or the backyard, contemplation of the smallest parts of life around us brings to us the most elemental existence.
Pondering the changes we observe from one anniversary of a cycle to the next might be discomfiting. Driving by our old house to see our spring flowers once again may be upsetting; the people who bought it last year at this time have already started big renovations. Our little house full of memories from decades past is gone for good. This season may carry rapid shifts from what we enjoyed in the past. We have to remember change is what moves us forward. We would tire of endless reruns.
To respect Lent, to value the small and important changes in each cycle, observe and contemplate the Earth as it is and how the seasons slowly change it. After a period of meditation we might be able to appreciate and celebrate even better what we have and where we want to go.
-David Downing
Sudbury UMC Lenten Devotions 