Friday after Ash Wednesday

 Lectionary: 221

Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast.”

Boomers remember the Byrds' song, Turn, Turn, Turn; it brings back bittersweet memories of hope and disappointment. Most of us knew they were citing a scripture passage, though we might not have known Ecclesiastes 3 or "David’s son, Qoheleth, king in Jerusalem." 

Given our youth, we could not understand the scale, weight or significance of "There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens." That comes only with time, with more to come. 

Lent is a time to remember the scale, weight, and significance of our sins. Most of us flinch at that, and attempt to escape or excuse ourselves from responsibility for what has happened, like Adam when he blamed both God and Eve for what he had done. "I didn't vote for that party!" we might insist; or, "That wasn't what I intended. It wasn't my fault!"

The scriptures, recording as they do the history of Israel from Adam to the present day, put it more simply. 

"We have sinned like our ancestors; we have done wrong and are guilty. Ps 106:6

The accusation might be too heavy to bear if the Lord himself had not taken up the burden for us, and carried it to Calvary. Lent insists that we take up our own crosses and walk with him. Everyone must walk that lonesome valley, although we don't have to do it alone. "Nobody else can walk it for you." 

Americans enjoy the myth of rugged individualism, a foolishly unrealistic story that bears little relationship to our everyday experience. I couldn't drive across town without thousands of people obeying traffic laws, paying their taxes, and watching out for their neighbor. We're in this together, and together we bear responsibility for everything that happens. 

When the Lord joins us only fools would stand apart from us, thinking they don't need his company and ours. And so we fast, give alms, and pray to the Lord for forgiveness of our sins and deliverance from the evil we have brought upon ourselves. 

With him, we'll do Lent right; we'll be grateful; and we'll enjoy it.