Positive Thinking

The church intentionally associates Lent with somber subjects and sympathetic suffering. These are strange motivators for the sorts of sacrifices that people take on for the season. Imagine a depressive personal trainer or a stern nutritionist - it's not the sort of encouragement that leads to success. Yet that is what people expect from the church. Would that the religious establishment could be more cheerleaders for the same changes, the same disciplines. The power of positive thinking just might do wonders.

Not that the suffering of Christ should be a matter of merriment. When that is the focus, a dark mood is certainly appropriate. And that is most appropriate for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. By extension, the church has impressed similar emotions on all of Lent, perhaps because the secular world views inward disciplines such as fasting, meditation and prayer as being suitable only for the most reverent of souls. Perhaps we as Christians reinforce this view, with long, sad faces, bowed heads and furrowed brows as we practice our piety. Or perhaps not - the world will often see what it wants to see. Either way, the stereotype is there, even accepted by dutiful churchgoers.

It need not be that way. For there is a distinction between the torture that Jesus was subjected to at His trial and in His crucifixion and the sacrifices He willingly made in getting there. And any careful read of the Gospels makes clear that Jesus was not a depressive sort of person. People flocked to Him, showered Him with adoration and praise, hung on His every utterance. Jesus really was a superstar for His day and age. He dined with the rich and powerful. Crowds followed Him from town to town, even chased Him around the Sea of Galilee. So many came to hear Him speak, He was forced to use hills for a stadium. And His appearance on Palm Sunday brought all of Jerusalem to a standstill.

So, how does this make any sense? How can a successful rabbi be viewed as a spiritual hero? Since when does the God of all Creation reveal Himself as a party animal? And if this is who Christ was as a human, why do we insist on Lent being so down?

Good questions. The key, it seems, is that Christ did not find joy in escaping from this life, but in living it to the fullest. He understood, in a way very few since have understood, that there is a flip side to sacrifice, a wonderfully gracious flip side. The glory in Christ's way is the freedom that it bestows. Giving up possessions is not a burden, but rather a blessing, because possessions possess. It is so true that those things we cling to in the name of security are the very things that rob us of freedom. To have reliable shelter restricts our location. To have a stable source of food, we work regularly. Given wealth, we are forced to protect our interests. To avoid hunger, we put on too much weight. It is inevitable - the more protection we amass, the stronger and thicker are the fortifications around us. And ultimately, we die, having given up our only chance to live.

Christ came to release us from all this. That is the Gospel, the good news. He lived in a way that conquers fear, making our fortress useless and simply in the way. There is no other choice but to tear it down. And each brick that falls is a relief, a cause for celebration. Every bad habit broken is a weight lifted, so we can breathe deeper of the fresh air. And each exercise of discipline is a gorgeous sunrise calling forth a beautiful day. Lent must be a season of celebration, or we have missed the point. The observances need not be any different, but by the power of Christ-like positive thinking they can be transformed from the dismal torture many regard them to be, to the heavenly joy that is God's will for us.

May you find reasons to rejoice in your Lenten practices.