Word to the Wise
Thursday, February 18, 2021 - Thursday after Ash Wed.
[Deut 30:15-20 and Luke 9:22-25]"Today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom. If you obey the commandments of the Lord, your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving him, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live and grow numerous, and the Lord, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy." [Deuteronomy] "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?" [Luke]
It is a physical fact of life that if we do not diet properly and get exercise, we can become "flabby," which can bring on other physical problems like diabetes and heart disease. We may regard a good physical health regime as a daily penance, but the facts of life tell us that this bit of "suffering" is nothing compared to the suffering that will come if we don't take good care of our bodies. Good physical health cannot be taken for granted. The same is true for spiritual health. Moses and Jesus remind us that if we want the rewards of God's blessings, we have to discipline ourselves and live according to God's laws and commandments. Jesus speaks of the daily cross that must be carried if one wishes to follow after him. The path to the site of the resurrection goes past the site of the crucifixion. The daily cross is as simple as it is difficult. We have to deny our egos and appetites and reach out in love to others.
The Lord knows, for the past year or so, our whole planet has suffered from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The disciplines of wearing a mask, social distancing and frequent hand-washing have not been easy, but they have been and continue to be necessary to prevent the spread of the illness. Even if we have received both vaccination shots, we can still carry that illness to others. Some of us have lost loved ones to the virus. Important spiritual events such as weddings and funerals have been reduced to family-only events. The celebration of the Eucharist has been altered. We have suffered the necessary disciplines in order to help one another. This makes the hardship of the pandemic an object lesson about Lent. Without discipline, the virus spreads and causes much worse suffering. Without the discipline of self-denial, for which Lent serves as an annual reminder, our Christian faith gets weak and "flabby." Pandemic discipline is necessary, but we can also voluntarily take a look at our spiritual discipline and ask how we can stay in good shape. Moses and Jesus today give us a blueprint to follow. AMEN