A Lent: A Time to Manifest a Better Way of Living
By Amanda G. Watlington
In my youth Lent always struck me as a time filled with castigation for sins and anticipation and dread of punishment. The message always seemed negative from the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday to the Crucifixion on Good Friday. It was a time of forced reflection on sin and suffering. As I have grown older my thoughts on Lent have changed. It is more now a time, for looking inward at the multitude of sins that I have committed, preparing for and looking for ways to manifest a better version of myself—perhaps a less sinful self.
Psalm 39 speaks to both my earlier and evolving relationship with Lent. In this Psalm, the writer acknowledges his failings with promises to mend his ways: “I will keep a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence.” This seems to suggest that this has not always been the case in the past. The utterances of a sharp tongue are hurtful and thus sinful. I am forced to reflect on how my own sharp tongue and thoughtless words have cut and hurt those around me. For this I too am filled with regret, a form of internalized punishment.
The Psalmist wants relief from continuous punishment for his sins so that he may smile again and find joy in what is left of his short life which he notes is but a breath in time. For me, there are several messages in these verses. Yes! We have sinned and on reflection, they fill us with regrets, but regret is backward looking. Given that we have a short finite time on earth, we should look for how to change our ways so that we have fewer regrets and more joy.
The promise of resurrection and life everlasting gives us hope. It fulfills the Psalmist’s request. Lent gives us the opportunity to reflect on our failings and mend our ways. The Gospel reading accompanying Psalm 39 is the parable of the mustard seed. It is from Luke and is often interpreted to refer to how the church might grow and prosper like yeast or the hardy mustard seed sown in the field. I would like to think that this could also suggest that changed habits begun during Lent might grow and manifest new ways of living a life filled with more smiles and less regrets.
A behavioral change might make a meaningful Lenten sacrifice. Instead of giving up chocolate or ice cream or some other small denial, Lent might be best spent building a changed habit—curbing one’s tongue around difficult people or learning to show genuine appreciation for others. The 40 days of Lent is adequate time for the new behavior to germinate into a significant personal change. This thought significantly alters how I view Lent. It is not just a time for recrimination for sins of the past, but a time to try on new ways of acting that will be less sinful, hence less regretful. These new habits perhaps can manifest a new way of living a more joyful life.
