It has become part of my yearly routine to start off pulling up a quote from The Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, one of our more famous speakers in our precious portion of the body of Christ known as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA): “There is no resolution that, if kept, will make you more worthy of love. You, as your actual self and not as some made up ideal, are already worthy of love.” And then, I figured those Gospel-esque words could very much apply to Lent as well.
As much as it is the cultural understanding of Lent that many Christians choose to give up chocolate, red meat, sugar, or whatever else for 40 days, I’m not so sure how often that actually happens nowadays. Granted, I don’t exactly go around asking people what “resolution,” of sorts, did they make for Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday. Or even if some people have done the modern cool thing of adding on a society-benefiting act of donating an item of clothing or canned good each day for six-ish weeks. Both sides of the Lenten observance have their benefits from spiritual discipline or bettering personal health or embodying the compassion of Jesus Christ himself, but just so we’re clear: the Gospel-esque words still apply.
Again, I don’t know how many people are thoroughly dedicated to the giving up’s or the adding on’s to draw us somewhat closer to Jesus’ journey through the wilderness. But if any are at all, rest assured, “There is no [giving up or adding on] that, if kept, will make you more worthy of love. You, as your actual self and not as some made up ideal, are already worthy of love.” Or, if children of God attempt to revamp their life because of doctor recommendations or relationship status change or job relocation or overall life dissatisfaction or whatever alteration the world throws at you: “[no revamping] will make you more worthy of love. You, as your actual self and not as some made up ideal, are already worthy of love.”
That isn’t to say some changes are quite necessary, including for personal health and all-around function, and not just that, but benefiting those connected to us through family, church, community, and beyond. Such disciplining, in a sense, can improve our discipling for the better, to be sure. But, no matter the level of dedication, there will come some slip-up’s to be sure. So, just in case…for those who need it…for all of us at some point or another…whether on January 1 or some random Lent day or whenever else…rest assured, “[nothing] will make you more worthy of love. You, as your actual self and not as some made up ideal, are already worthy of love.” Thanks be to God, indeed!
In Christ,
Pastor Brad