Pineridge Blog

In the church it is Lent. Outside it is spring. What’s the difference?

Lent is the season of 40 days, plus Sundays before Easter. Easter moves around each year because the Jews followed a lunar calendar (13 months of 28 days each), and the crucifix-ion is dated accordingly. So you start with the date of Easter and count back to mark the beginning of Lent, Ash Wednes-day.

The color of Lent is purple. Purple is a dark color. Twilight is purple. The last light before the sunlight disappears each night is purple. Purple is also the color of royalty. Above Je-sus’ head on the cross they tacked up a cruel punch line, “This is the King of the Jews.” His accusers no doubt chuck-led at their cleverness, but little did they know how right they were.
Most of all, Lent is a time to reflect on Jesus’ Passion. I love that the word passion can be used to speak of Jesus’ crucifix-ion and death, as well as, the deepest expressions of love. In Lent we remember that the cross is the fullest expression of God’s truest passion—saving love.

Spring is especially appreciated this year after a long, hard winter. I have lost count of how many rounds of snow and ice we have endured and how many snow days piled up. But it seems, fingers crossed, that all of that is over now.
Although the sun is shining, no days are perfect. Even spring days bring worries, frustrations, pain and doubt. Weeds grow alongside flowers. Questions remain which begin, “How?” and “Why?” in each of our lives and in the world.

Lent does not end when spring comes, but it is a bridge from winter darkness into spring. In our part of the world Easter corresponds with the new flowers and warmer days. Espe-cially this year spring underscores the new life of resurrec-tion and the new hope of eternal life.

Our hope is not only that the spring follows the winter but that God is faithful in all of the seasons of our lives working in the darkness to bring new life.