Most often when you ask people about Lent their reply is centered on what they are giving up for the season. For some it a pleasure food, such as chocolate, ice cream, sodas. Others choose to eschew meat. Some focus on habits that are bad for their health such as smoking. Occasionally, a few respondents will convey what they have “taken on” in discipline for the forty days. All of the aforementioned efforts are outward signs of what should really take place for each of us during Lent.

The invitation to Lent from the Ash Wednesday liturgy in the BCP calls us ”to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” The invitation is clear that denial is only part of the preparation of Lent.

In the cross of ashes placed on each forehead, we also see things that should call us to the remaining aspects of the Lenten discipline. First we should see in the ashes and the statement, “You are but dust and to dust you shall return” our mortality. Secondly, we who have been justified in Christ should see the incredible gift that comes from a cruel death on Calvary.

The first should call us to seriously question our relationship with our Lord. Are we a light to the world? Do we love our God more than anything in our life? Is Holy Scripture truly a light to our path through reading and study? Do we truly trust God? What would the witness of our life be if we returned to dust? Would they say “in their life I saw Christ?” or “he or she was a nice person”? If it is the later we need to reflect on the fact that just being a “nice” or “good” person does not lead to sanctification in Christ. Think about it for a minute, would you want your spouse to just be “good” to you or do you want them to love you? The cross of ashes calls us to examination, reflection and repentance.

The later is what the second view of the cross placed on our forehead should be of the cross on which Jesus gave His life for us. His death established a right relationship with God for us to live into. It is by His death and resurrection that we have been given the promise of life after we “return to dust”.

The cross on our foreheads symbolizes a path that we are to follow, Jesus Christ; and Lent is a time in which we are to critically look at the path we are walking. When we are walking apart from God we are to “turn around” or repent and begin walking with Him daily. But we only know the error of our direction when we take time to look at where we are going.

This Lent, I wish for each of you a time of self-examination, prayer, meditation and when required, repentance. Let us not fall into the category of “not asking for directions.” Let us turn and walk the only way to Christ, His way, the truth and the life.