A favorite practice of the community I served in South Carolina, was the annual series of Lent and Advent luncheon services shared by the downtown churches on selected Thursdays. I always enjoyed these gatherings, not only for the good food and rich fellowship, but as a reminder that, no matter our differences, we worship the same Lord who deserves our sincere obedience, honor, worship and love.
One year, when I received my assignment of where and when I would speak, I quickly typed the appointment into the calendar app on my phone. When I looked later to confirm the date, I saw I had typed all-too-quickly and mistyped.
I had not, as our schoolteachers always reminded us, checked my work. Instead of typing that I would speak at the “Lenten Luncheon,” I typed that I would speak at the “Lenient Luncheon.”
Then the thought came to me that perhaps I had not mistyped but that my subconscious mind had instructed my fingers to type what we all hope is true when it comes to God and our sin.
Rather than the hard work of repentance, confession and obedience, perhaps most of us are hoping God will be more lenient than strict when it comes to our sin, that God’s mercy will overcome God’s judgment and that grace truly will abound.
I am convinced the witness of scripture is that it will and that even the person living the farthest from God’s love never will be too far away for the Spirit to nudge and urge, poke and prod them away from prodigal pathways toward acceptance of her or his true identity as daughter or son of God.
Still, I will not give up on the work of seasons like Lent for we human beings are a stubborn and willful bunch who have learned how to inflict great pain of many kinds on one another, on ourselves, and, according to the witness of scripture, on God. We have spent our lives on the one-letter difference between “Lenten” and “lenient” — the letter “I.”
“I” still need the practice and demands of repentance, confession and obedience to Christ.
As long as you live in this world, so do you, too.
Grace and peace,
Bob Guffey
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