Lent is a time for personal reconciliation with God – and a time for personal reflection about our priorities in life.
A portion of the Gospel reading for Ash Wednesday at the Church of the Holy Comforter, in Vienna, VA, came from Matt 6:19-21. The passage reads: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there is your heart also."
We are consumed by our treasures. Rust and moths do not compare to the idolatry that our possessions demand of us. During our personal reflections this Lent, let us take time to put those idols aside, and refocus our priorities.
Where is your heart? Is your heart open to God's presence? If it is, then beware: God may want to transform it.
My life was transformed at the age of 12 on a mission trip to a South Dakota Indian Reservation. The difference in my lifestyle and that of those we visited was stark. At the same time, their spirit of hospitality was generous. I learned then that God calls us to go deeper and to experience relationships in places that we never thought possible. To see people for who they are, where they are.
I pray this Lent that you will hear him call you to the mission field, whether in your neighborhood or to the slums of Manila. There is much work to be done and when we pile up our treasures and count our possessions, we become distracted and have trouble hearing God call us into the mission of reconciliation with our communities, here and overseas.
Let not that be the case for you this Lent. As you meditate and spend time in prayer remember those who live in poverty, both physical and spiritual. I'm sure God will find a way to use you to help someone in need as we await the victorious day of resurrection.
Click here to see the Episcopal Church's Lenten reflection on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
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