Lent: Back to Basics

Golfer Tiger Woods has seen better days.   Once the dominant force on the golf course, now he can’t seem to complete a tournament.  Two weeks ago, he pulled out of the Farmers Insurance Classic after only 12 holes.  The week before, he shot an 82 at the Phoenix Open--his worst professional performance.   Whether Tiger’s current downfall is being caused by a mental block, an aging body, or both is not entirely clear.  What is apparent is that in order to get back on track, Tiger has to get back to basics.  For him, that means paying attention to basic elements like grip, stance, posture and swing, and perhaps relearning these basics in new ways.  

Like Tiger Woods, we have all experienced those times in life when we have had to start over.  Those who have suffered job losses in recent times have understood the need to go back to the nuts and bolts of writing cover letters, creating resumes, or learning new skills to attract potential employers.  Situations like this may mask themselves as times of disappointment, loss or failure.  But they can be opportunities for renewal and restoration.

Likewise, the season of Lent, with its penitential nature and call for sacrifice, may mask itself as a time of austerity, gravity or grimness.  In reality, it is chock full of opportunities for renewal and restoration.  In Lent, the Church calls us back to the basics of our faith through prayer, fasting and giving alms. These disciplines offer us an opportunity to grow in our relationship with God and others and they help deepen our commitment to a way of life rooted in our Baptism.  Prayer, fasting and giving alms are not meant to be done only during Lent and then abandoned.  These practices are part and parcel of the daily life of all Christians.  But to grow in Christian discipleship might require that we look at these disciplines in new ways.  For example, fasting from judging others instead of chocolate, or praying utilizing centering prayer instead of rote prayer could stimulate our faith and make for a joy-filled Lent.   Lent is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning spring.  As nature (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) is awaiting rebirth, may we too experience a rebirth in faith and in hope.