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Love’s Destination, a Lenten Reflection
Lent is a journey, not a destination. It is the ultimate walk in love. As we hear the story of Jesus’ physical journey toward Jerusalem and the events of Holy Week, we take our own spiritual journey. We follow that rocky road as our readings walk us through foreshadowing and heartache until we arrive at the foot of the cross.
We are invited on this journey not because we need to suffer as Jesus suffered, but so that we may understand the Grace that comes from living though difficult moments. Jesus models this work, and while he will be martyred and raised, his invitation is not to follow him into death, rather to follow him into the compassion and empathy that come from resisting and crossing over our darkest instincts.
The walk of love teaches us that the path through scarcity and anxiety is in trusting in the abundance we have been shown, the gifts that we have been given. We are, each of us, given gifts to grow God’s Kingdom: kindness, generosity, strength, wisdom, creativity, passion, and so many more. Stewardship reminds us to harness and nurture these gifts so that we might be able to share them more extravagantly with those we meet on our journey.
For Reflection: As you walk through Lent this year, how will you share your gifts to make the path easier for others?
J. Davey Gerhard is Canon for Stewardship and the Executive Director of TENS. He lives, works, and worships in San Francisco, California.
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