Finding our place in the tension between now…and what awaits

My goal is to take on something – an intentional Lenten study beyond my daily scripture reading and prayer time.

As I sit to compose this article, an ashen cross occupies my forehead as a sign of repentance for my sins. Over the years, my thoughts at the beginning of the Lenten journey have ranged from “What are you going to ‘give up’ for the next 40 days?” to “Wonder if I’ll make it through successfully to Easter morning?”

Often, life gets in the way, and I do not make it! So rather than set myself up for failure this year, my goal is to take on something – a walk with Jesus’ disciples and, hopefully, an understanding of the anxieties they experienced in a climate not unlike ours.

The Foundation staff is together reading Blessed are the Peacemakers: A Lenten Journey with Jesus’ Disciples by Rev. Dr. John McGill. As noted in the study, walking the path to Jesus’ ultimate betrayal and crucifixion brings the kind of anxiety that is all too familiar in today’s world. Political unrest, fluctuating markets, and climate change-fueled weather events seem to be the norm. Coupled with the daily challenges of life, the toll can often seem unbearable. We find ourselves asking, “Where are you, God?”

Although the challenges of 2025 are different from those of Jesus’ day, they are no less anxiety-producing. They cause us to turn inward as we seek understanding and some level of peace. Lucky for us, God is with us at every step. As it is written in Isaiah 43:19: “Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

As you journey toward the cross, may you not be tempted to skip ahead to the end – the part where we celebrate the risen Christ. Rather, may you hold the 40 days of Lent in healthy tension between what is and what is yet to be, knowing that you do not walk the journey alone.

Yours in Christ,