The ugly-duckling girl in junior high suddenly became gorgeous! That skinny farm boy who’d trip over his big feet suddenly filled out to be suave & handsome! What in the world happened? Or did I just see them in a different light as I matured myself….. Part of our Lenten journey is change or transformation — and seeing in a different light ourselves.
A brief passage in the saga of Joshua tells about the Exodus Pilgrims finally arriving in the Land of Milk & Honey. “The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the Land of Canaan that year.”(Joshua 5:12) The Bread of Heaven, a necessity for so many years, didn’t happen any more because the new arrivals saw that they had their own fields and gardens. They saw that they were no longer Wanderers, but Residents, by God’s Design.
The core of Psalm 32 seems to be a change felt through healing. “While I kept silence, my body wasted away….Then I acknowledged my sin to you…and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” (vv.3-5) The self-exiled sufferer couldn’t get to be herself until she trusted in God enough to partake in God’s steadfast love: she saw herself differently, as a beloved child in the process of unfolding.
Some have difficulty with Paul’s admonitions to the Corinthians, II, 5:17 — “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” When anyone puts on Christ, everything looks different: we take a big-picture look at Creation, we understand those we meet as important carriers of God’s Image! How different from seeing the challenged in front of us in line at the food market as just an unpleasant obstacle to our daily agenda! Or that idiot driver who won’t leave the intersection at the stroke of green! Or those who need medical assistance. Or food stamps. Or job training…
The Gospel is the story of the Prodigal Son, recorded by St. Luke in Chapter 15. Better preachers that I have suggested that we have all at some times been the adventurous son, the good son, and the devoted father. The son in question eventually “came to himself” after blowing his fortune on high living. He saw things differently. We don’t know, but we hope that the older brother eventually saw this event in a different light, too. And the ever-gracious father watched for the transformation every day….
When was that amazing day that I was tall enough to see over the top of the dining room table? (I bet my mother knew!) Or when I could throw from Third to First? Or when I first successfully manipulated the clutch? Or when I learned discretion? (The jury’s still out, on that one…) These milestones are hard to pinpoint, as is our New Vision through the eyes of Christ. As you “press forward for the prize”, take occasion this Lent to appreciate how far you’ve come!
In the words of Sir Humphrey of Bogartus, “Here’s lookin’ at YOU, kid”
God Bless Us, Every One……… H B King
My Blog 
Leave a comment