So comes the season of Lent, a major period in the church’s calendar. Etymologically, the word ‘Lent’ originally meant ‘Spring’, and therefore refers to a season of life and hope. If we look around today’s world, however, what we see is the constant shadow of war and conflict. Everywhere we turn, we see hatred, disputes, and injustice. We see people living in fear. We see the many weaknesses and limitations of humanity, and often, we respond to such weaknesses and limitations with helplessness and despair. It is easy to talk about renewing this sinful world, but where should we realistically find the joys of life and hope?
Spring is the season of planting. It is the season when the seeds that will grow into a bountiful harvest in Autumn are sowed. The process that takes us to this point is an arduous one: the farmer would need to till the soil, fertilise it, water the crops regularly, remove any weed that could hinder growth, and take measures against pests. Taking all of this into the season of Lent, we are reminded that the ‘miracle of the Passover’ and the ‘hope of the resurrection’ are not things that we can simply attain by fast-forwarding to the future; rather, we are to walk through these forty days and forty nights, reflecting on the past, and seizing every moment. We reflect on the past by turning to God: through prayer and reflection, we rediscover the unconditional love of God, and the original goodness of humanity on the day when we were created. For we are made in the image that is pleasing to God, and we are created out of goodness. Thus, when we see the daily evils and cruelty of this world, and when we are frightened by their sting, we are reminded of the blossoming of goodness, and our spirits would then be lifted. No matter how cruel this world proves to be, it is still unable to destroy the sacred essence that God has gifted us: the inclination towards goodness, and the strength of love and mercy. As we turn back to the path of God’s love and goodness, we find the strength needed to renew our lives and this world.
The customs of fasting and self-denial in Lent serve as a reminder for us to shun evil in all its forms. Such evil could present itself as the destruction of nature, the wickedness of human institutions, or the lust in our hearts. To shun evil is to turn towards God’s love and goodness, and break free from the hold of those things which separate us from God. We rebuild our bonds with God by acknowledging God’s strength over any mortal’s, and affirming God’s ability to help us and free us from the authority of sin. Christ’s death and resurrection manifested the almighty power of God, for he not only destroyed evil’s might, but also brought salvation to humanity and renewal to this sinful world. He freed us from the fear of evil, and granted us hope and encouragement towards love and goodness, leading us into God’s kingdom of joy and peace!
We as Christians are a community of faith, and we should not limit our footsteps to mere belief and knowledge, for we are called to put into action the love and goodness that God has taught us. We ought to seize every waking moment, and put to good use the time we have this Lent, reflecting on our faith and praying for the Holy Spirit to help us in discerning God’s pleasing will for kindness and purity. May we follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, and earnestly love our neighbours this Lent – may the visible presence of God’s love and goodness become an integral part of our lives!
++Andrew Chan +Timothy Kwok +Matthias Der