A Time of Evil, Repentance, and Redemption

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday – for Catholics like me, this is the beginning of Lent, the most important part of our annual religious journey.? To be honest, I wasn’t planning on attending a service.? Covid-time had a big impact on the more formal parts of my religious experience.? We YouTube’d into some masses, which was fine, but something was still missing.? I took long walks with our dog, Roscoe, and prayed in solitude.? Those hikes were important for my sanity and powerful reminders of the spirit amongst us, but I fell out of the habit of attending “church.”

But my wife, Pauline, suggested we attend mass last night, so we masked-up and went to a local church.? It was comforting to be back in familiar surroundings, complete with the Catholic rituals that I’ve known my entire life (ashes on the forehead).? And as frequently happens, the homily/sermon spoke to me in an important way.? The pastor talked about Lent as a time to begin again – to renew our efforts and recommit to those things that are important.? He spoke about seeking repentance and finding redemption through a personal journey.? In the Catholic tradition, this was the Holy Spirit poking me in the ribs or perhaps kicking me in another place.

To put all of this in context, I just turned 60, which is really the first time an “important” birthday has forced me to pause.? Clearly there is more to look back at fondly than there are new memories to create.? I’m feeling an urgency to both experience new things and find ways to have deeper impact.? I’ve also just moved off two national boards (Sonos and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee) which has created big chunks of time for me to relax, reflect, and, yes, goof off.? Finally, I just published my first novel, The Wilkes Insurrection , a techno-thriller involving an evil set of anarchists and a team that must come together to save the country and find their own paths to redemption.?

And then there is the war in Ukraine.? Truthfully, I’m glad my parents passed away before this happened.? It is a surreal return to a time they fought to eliminate in World War II.? They sacrificed so we could say “never again,” and yet here we are.? I thought I wrote about tragedy and terrible evil in The Wilkes Insurrection, but I could not dream up something like this.? There are no shades of gray here.? Putin’s invasion is an act of pure evil and our response must be united, committed, and overwhelming.? Bullies only understand one language and one set of actions.? It may take time, but he must be defeated, and the Ukrainians must be redeemed.

Of course, the existential challenge in all of this discussion of renewal and recommitment is “what can I do?”? And I don’t have any brilliant or deep words of wisdom in response.? How each of us engages is uniquely personal and based on our own lived experiences.? With that said, I will offer some simple thoughts that might spur additional ideas:

1. Stop the Shouting:? We’ve become an angry mob that revels in yelling at each other and rewards those who do it with an equally angry response.? Social media isn’t evil, but the way we use it can be.? We've lost the art of civil discourse. Take a break, find someone who has a different point of view, and walk together.? Listen well.? Learn.
2. Accept our Failings:? In our humanity there is towering strength if we are willing to be self-aware enough to know our weaknesses.? Repentance is an awkward, religious word, but we can’t heal until we admit our limitations.
3. Faith and Works:? There is a long-standing religious debate about whether faith or works are more important.? I’m an AND person – we should each believe we can make a difference AND then find a cause where we can have deep impact.

It’s not often I walk out of church contemplating the state of our communities, pondering the evil of a war, and wondering how characters from my book would respond.? For me it is time to declare an end to isolation and a return to community.? A time to transition from one set of projects to a new set of challenges.? A time to engage with a world filled with unexpected evils, too little repentance, and deep needs for redemption.

For each of us, it may take some time for that to take shape, but the first step is always the most important one.

Addendum:? The Wilkes Insurrection was inspired by a great deal of music – you can find the book soundtrack here and also soundtracks for each of the characters here .? So, I’ve decided each of my blog posts needs a theme song.? Here’s the first:? Soldiers by Rachel Platten.