Beauty in the Complexity | Monday Invocation
“This kind of tension is one of the hardest parts of the Christian faith for me, but I think there’s a beauty in the complexity and nuance of how God presents themselves to us.”
Lindsey Holt
Some years I give things up for Lent, and other years I take on new spiritual practices; each is meant to reorient my faith towards God.
Recently I’ve also realized that sharing these practices in community brings me closer to them as well, which seems fitting because so much of how I know God is through knowing God’s people.
However, this year I have not needed to make an intentional effort to ‘fast’ or ‘adopt’ in order to reorient towards God and community for Lent. My partner has a chronic migraine condition and has been in a flare since Christmas. I have been reminded of how a friend once told me that when we go through hard times and feel like giving up, our community can hold our hope for us. This is one of those times - when my partner and I feel like giving up and withdrawing, our community shows up by filling in where we can’t. Our chosen families bring the kids over to the house when my partner can’t leave to make our weekly dinners. Our friends make time for phone calls and hold plans flexibly for us. Our roommates refill water bottles, make extra food, and feed the cat.
As we work on being slow and soft and gentle, my partner and I feel acutely the spiritual truth of waiting in pain and hoping for restoration (Psalm 130). We have had to change our plans for the year, and it feels futile to continue putting new things on the calendar when we don’t know what the future will look like. It’s an exercise in faith for us. We have to keep hoping that her symptoms will resolve or that we’ll find creative ways to adapt and compromise despite the enduring pain and disappointment.
This kind of tension is one of the hardest parts of the Christian faith for me, but I think there’s a beauty in the complexity and nuance of how God presents themselves to us. We believe death is final, and then the Bible is full of stories of resurrection – Ezekial calling life into the dry bones, Lazarus being raised from the dead, the promise of our own resurrection, and of course the coming Easter story.
Take the opportunity to hold onto hope this Lent, and if you find that you can’t, allow your community to hold it for you.
Join a Lenten Community Group!
Are you looking to join a weekly group discussing the scripture passages surrounding Lent this year? Join one of our Lenten Reflections Community Groups! We have 3 groups to choose from, which includes a group for Deconstructing Lent. You can see more information and sign up at the link below!
