Giving Up Hatred for Lent

I recently tried asking Siri, my smart phone’s disembodied guru, how to navigate through some unfamiliar back roads. But, repeatedly, she cut me off before I could say, “Give me directions to...” Again, and again, she interrupted to say, “How can I help you?” At last, frustrated, “I said, “Siri, I need you to listen!” Her immediate response was, “Sorry, I am not capable of that.”

 My irritation instantly shifted to laughter, and then once again changed to somber contemplation. What gets in the way of our capacity to hear one another? This segued to thoughts of Lent.

What would happen if I gave up the following for Lent:

• My propensity to rant and rave – quietly, of course - against those who voice values and beliefs that are different from mine, whether religious or political?
• My tendency to “demonize” those who perpetuate provable lies?
• My disgust toward the hateful?
• My loathing of those who voice bigotry, misogyny and arrogance?
• My repugnance toward those who espouse manipulation, hard-nosed force and violence to end conflict?

What if . . .? What if I relinquish all judgment of other’s morality and behaviors to God? What if I give up all my ways to the ways of God? What if I let go of my condemnation of others in favor of seeing humanity through the eyes of God? Especially, the eyes that looked down on humanity from the viewpoint of the cross!

Fasting and other penitential acts are common during this season. What if our penitence took the form of changed attitudes that last longer than 40 days? What if our minds became so tuned to His compassionate nature that our behaviors toward others reflect God as the ultimate expression of Love?

Here is my Lentin prayer: I choose judicious discernment over judgmentalism. I choose love over all alternatives. I will give up the “lint” of my pride for the transformative lessons of Lent. I surrender all – which is nothing of value - to gain the priceless peace of His grace. I give up my self-absorption and self-righteousness to let God saturate me with His presence. May the God of Lent live in me now and beyond the Lent season.

More of Tom Becraft’s writing is available in his latest book, available now on Amazon Books.  Tom Becraft is a lifelong learner whose heart has been moved again and again by God's love. He is passionate about experiencing and sharing God's promises as a way of life in non-coercive ways whenever and wherever possible. Click here to obtain your personal copy as you countdown to Easter: When Words Become Life: Seven Days and Seven Sayings that Changed the Universe.

When Words Become Life brings together a non-traditional interpretation and application of Christ’s last sayings, noting how those words are intertwined with the Bible’s account of our origins and with our lives today. The cross becomes the fulcrum upon which the original creation and the New Creation pivot. Jesus’ last words, combined with His appearance at the founding of our world, provide a paradigm for renewal now. When Words Become Life unveils the difference between a gospel of the status quo and the gospel of authentic, transformative grace.