Categories: uncategorized
Date: 11 February 2008 14:02:04
'I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
The sinners are much more fun -
Only the good die young.' (Billy Joel)
I must confess, that does resonate with me. I did this post called unconstipated ethics a while back, where I was saying that Christians ought to just loosen up a bit sometimes.
And I do think that. But is Lent maybe a bit different? Is this the time when the bridegroom's away, and we need to mourn? The whole concept of spiritual discipline as a path to growth has seemingly gone out of the window in much modern day Christianity.
I kind of like the idea of 'Love Life Live Lent', in trying to make Lent contemporary, but just find it lacking in substance. The purpose of Lent it seems to me is to grow through focussing on God. Love Life Live Lent encourages a rather 'back to front' works-related approach which I'm not keen on.
I think Lent is about doing the 'hard yards', the trek up the lonely mountain, the desert withdrawl. And maybe that involves crying with the saints for a season. But we don't stay in the desert for that long really, and then it's time for laughter again.