The Purpose of Repentence

This year, we have barely had time to put away the Christmas decorations before the more somber and introspective season of Lent, which begins today, with the Holy Day of Ash Wednesday.  I call the season somber because, quite frankly, Lent has a reputation for being something of a downer-- particularly when put in contrast with the seasons of Christmas and Epiphany that come before it.  Perhaps the reason Lent gets such a dismal reputation is because a major theme of Lent is repentance, and for many of us, the idea of repentance conjures up emotions of guilt and shame—not the kinds of religious sentiments we particularly like to dwell upon.

But maybe there is more to Lent than just guilt and shame.  Repentance, after all, comes from the Greek word metanoia, which can perhaps be translated most accurately as “a turning of consciousness” or “a change of heart and mind.”  Biblical notions of repentance, and particularly New Testament ideas of the word, have little to do with feeling bad or guilty about past sins, and have much more to do with transformation of heart, mind, and soul as we shift our priorities towards God and the spiritual life.   

It is common in many Christian traditions to “give up” something for Lent.  Again, this practice has negative connotations for some Christians, who remember giving up certain pleasures or comforts during Lent as a practice of self-deprivation.  But there is more to this practice than we may think.  Giving up something for Lent is not just about the avoidance of temptation (something many of us routinely fail at—once again, bring on the guilt and shame).  It’s also about getting rid of some of extra the clutter in our lives in order to make more room for God. It’s hard to experience metanoia if our lives are already so full that there is no room for God’s Spirit to move in and around us, and it’s hard to have a turning of our consciousness if we remain too comfortable with the status quo.  And so we give up certain things during Lent for the purpose of making room for metanoia and a deeper spirituality. Maybe we give up a few hours of television each day in order to make more time for prayer, meditation, or Bible study.  Maybe we give up an extra hour of sleep on Sunday morning in order to be more diligent about worshiping in community.  Maybe we give up that daily latté in order to purchase an item for the food pantry instead.  We make these small sacrifices with the hope that at the end of Lent, we might have experienced some degree of true repentance—a transformation of heart, mind, and soul--metanoia.  

During the six weeks of Lent, there will be many opportunities to engage in spiritual discipline-- whether it be worship, prayer, study, or service.  It doesn’t really matter which discipline you choose to engage in. The important thing is that you choose something-- some small way to turn your heart and mind more towards God.  This Lent, may we all find true repentance, may we all experience metanoia and true spiritual transformation.