Lenten Devotion - day 22

As we journey through Lent together, I wanted to reflect on the theme of redemption, mostly because it is a religious word that sometimes I stay away from. And this Lent, in doing these letters, I have been confronting things I’ve stayed away from.

Redemption is the process of being saved from sin and its consequences, and Lent is a time for us to reflect on our own sinfulness and seek redemption through spiritual practices like fasting, prayer, and giving. Sin is a strange word. The Greek word for sin in the New Testament means “to miss the mark.” While we say the word sin and mean some kind of deviation from a prescribed set of laws or commandments that is an affront to God, I think the idea of missing the mark is better.

There are many ways we miss the mark of being our true selves, the ones that God knows we can be and made us to be. The usual lists of sins are on there, and so are the seven deadly sins of the ancient days, but there are other ways we miss the mark. I miss the mark of who I am suppose to be when I don’t live life with enough joy and wonder, when I don’t help someone when I can, when I don’t find simple reasons to give thanks, when I don’t recognize the blessings all around me. That list can go on longer than I have time to write. From all of this I must seek redemption.

In my own spiritual practice, I find that seeking redemption is an ongoing process. It's not just about seeking forgiveness for specific sins, but also about striving to live a life that is in line with the values and beliefs that allow me to be who I truly am to be. Lent is a time for me to reflect on the ways that I've fallen short, missed the mark, and recommit to living a more intentional and meaningful life.

In many spiritual traditions, there are rituals and practices that are designed to bring about redemption and healing. In Judaism, there is the practice of teshuvah (the word often used in the Old Testament for “turning back” to God), which involves repentance, confession, and making amends for past wrongs. To many Jews the final step is a recommitment to change, or in other words, to be who they are supposed to be.

We are supposed to be like Christ. We are supposed to heal those who are hurting. We are supposed to love those no one does, and those who are hateful too. We are supposed to feed the hungry. We are supposed to live justly so that Shalom springs up wherever our feet step. But, we don’t, so we need redemption.

Christians say Jesus redeems us on the cross. To many that means some form of penal substitution; as if saying God was so pissed at us that God needed to harm someone, so God decided to do some divine child abuse. That doesn’t do anything for me, not emotionally, not spiritually, not mentally. Physically it makes me sick. What gives me hope on the cross is that God doesn’t do to us what we do to each other, what we do to God. Instead, with arms nailed wide, the broken God embraces broken people and the broken world, and refuses to give up on any of it.

I keep trying to live into this redemption, because God keeps trying. God hasn’t grown tired of me. God hasn’t given up on me, and that such is true is redemption

Ultimately, I believe that redemption is an essential part of the human experience. We all make mistakes and miss the mark of our own ideals and the ideals that God has for us; but it's never too late to turn things around and find forgiveness and healing. Lent is a time for us to engage in this process of redemption together and support each other on our journeys… and yes I realize that many will think I just talked about sanctification, but can I ever really have one without the other?
Until tomorrow,
Garrett