Lent Focus #5 A “Sojourn” - Not a “Project”
Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona
Today’s post is our fifth Lent 2022 reflection. As I said before, the practice of Lent wasn’t part of my early faith tradition. Over the last few years, I have tried to incorporate the pillars of Lent: Fasting, Prayer, and Almsgiving into my spiritual journey, but oftentimes, I have felt unsuccessful.
I like to do things “right.” Part of this harkens to basic first-born personality traits; the way in which I absorbed childhood messages; as well as my perception about what “right” looks like. In my attempt to do Lent “right” this year, I did a lot of reading, preparation, and planning. Along the way, I jotted down a couple sentences in my journal from a source I didn’t reference.
The words encouraged the reader to consider Lent less like a project and more like a “sojourn,” which the writer defined as “a temporary stay at a certain place, which is more about presence than productivity.”
This thought was valuable to me last week. I was hit with a bug that knocked me for a loop. Most of my carefully laid plans for Lent were set aside. My eyes burned so badly that I was unable to do planned reading and journal entries. When I tried listening to Scripture or a devotional podcast, I almost immediately fell asleep.*
The thought crossed my mind that once again, I wasn’t being very successful in my attempt to do Lent “right.” Then, I remembered “Lent is “a temporary stay at a certain place,” not a project. God is more interested in my presence than my productivity.”
During those days when my body was weak, I felt comfort in the suffering of Jesus as he “sojourned” to the cross. The journey of Jesus on the Via Dolorosa to the cross was excruciating! I cannot imagine any worse agony. But the cross wasn’t his final destination. The miracle of Lent, which culminates on Easter morning, is the Resurrection. Jesus “sojourned” to the cross. His journey to and death on the cross was “a temporary stay at a certain place.” I love these words from Hebrews 12:2 b:
For the joy set before him [Jesus] endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
If you, like me, are a person who easily gets bogged down with “productivity” rather than “presence,” I hope these words encourage your soul.
Blessings as we learn to be “present,”
*I know many readers are very kind human beings. So, for you, I want you to know I’m on the mend—feeling stronger every day. The OTC Covid test, which I had Ron pick up for me, was negative. Perhaps my body was simply saying it needed chicken soup and the ability to “veg” for a few days!