The 4th Lent Sunday: Psalm 32; Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Key Verse: "Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart." (Psalm 32:11)
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Hello, This is Jade.
Welcome to Yi.kigai
A space for all to explore the intersection between faith and daily life
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Lenten Blessings. It is the 4th Sunday of Lent.
Since the weather wasn’t good on one of our day-offs last month, instead of going hiking, my husband and I decided to park our car at Seattle Chinatown and walk from International District to Pike Place Market. On our way back to Chinatown on 1st Ave, we saw two elderly white ladies who seemed to be having a hard time figuring out where they were. One was holding a map and telling the other to find any signs that were marked on the map. When they saw us, they asked if we could help them. So I took out my phone and showed them where we were on Google Maps, and asked them where they wanted to go. Before they could reply, a white middle-aged gentleman stepped in and said, “I’m local, I can help them.”
The man looked at us without any facial expression. And the elderly ladies looked at us and at that man not knowing what to say. After my husband and I exchanged looks, I said, “Sure!” After walking out of earshot, I asked my husband, “What was that about? Did our faces label us as non-locals? Do I look like a foreigner or an Asian to you?” We laughed! All I cared about was that those two elderly ladies could reach their destination. So, we moved on and enjoyed the rest of our day off.
During Lent, we focus on our way back to God. It doesn’t matter where you depart and what route you take, as long as all can reach the same destination, which is the spiritual home filled with God’s healing, hope, and peace. Our individual path that we take offers each of us unique experiences. On the path, we might see that some are heading in the same direction, and some are heading the opposite direction going further away from God. Some have all the tools that we can think of: the Bible, the theology, the rituals, the prayers, the covenants, the commandments, the laws, the gospel, etc. Some can only rely on their memories filled with fragmented stories that remind them who they are and to whom they belong.
Whatever we have with us or whoever accompanies us along the way, may we not forget to say a prayer for ourselves and each other, listen attentively and learn how we can support each other. We might meet people coming from different denominations, believing different biblical interpretations, being raised in different cultures, speaking different languages, may we see diversity as a gift to embrace not as a threat to flight. Whenever we are not sure if we are heading in the right direction, it’s important that we stay still and observe the needle in our faith compass to see if it is pointing to the cross that grants complete forgiveness and full acceptance to all. And trust that God will guide and lead. Before we know it, Lent will be over and Easter will be here. And we are not alone but surrounded by the people of faith to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and shout for joy. The best part is that we might be surprised to see that our spiritual muscles are getting stronger and our convictions shine like a lighthouse.
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May your coming week be blessed by God’s grace
As together we explore the intersection between faith and daily life
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