2014 Lenten Devotional

March 20, 2014

By Diana Fredenburg

                                                                                                                                         
Have you ever really thought about reflections?

If we look at a photo of something reflecting in the water it is often clear, but still fuzzy.  If we are reflecting on a life journey event, our mind’s memories though clear at times are also fuzzy.  Details are often forgotten or exaggerated like the “fish that got away”.  We struggle to remember, asking others about what they remember.  Our recollections are sometimes in conflict, each remembering their own perspective and emotional attachments.  So too is our relationship with God. As we seek to reflect on Jesus’ journey to the cross, we struggle to understand the sacrifice of the Son of God for our salvation.  We are humbled by the Last Supper, a meal so simple that questions one’s faith. Would we be Peter and deny any knowledge?  Would we be Judas and sell him out for 30 pieces of silver?  How would we reflect on the events of the cross as a grieving mother?  Or would we just be a curiosity seeker in the crowd?  I think of the song “One of Us” by Joan Osborne and the lyric “just a stranger on the bus… trying to make his way home.”  How would we reflect on our meeting him or better yet, how would he reflect on meeting us?

 If we invert the photograph our focus actually becomes clearer.  By changing our perspective, not only does the image change, but also our understanding of it.
 What does the Lord require of us?  To act justly, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.