Odd for God

This week we gathered for worship on Ash Wednesday, marking our entry into the season of Lent. As worship concluded, we were marked on our foreheads with an ashen cross – a fitting ritual that pairs our very mortal limits (ashes) and God’s astonishing provision (the cross). Somehow the enacted symbol adds a depth of understanding beyond the reach of words to describe God’s unfathomable goodness.

Christians often observe Lent by setting aside some enjoyable part of life as a means of having attention drawn less to such gifts and more to the Giver. So there’s a rigor to this season.

And it’s also rigorous because we give special attention to some of the most challenging – indeed scandalous – facets of our faith. Ordinarily we are drawn to gospel stories that warm our hearts. Think Jesus’ word, “let the children come to me,” and his bold action to protect a woman from a mob with big stones.

But there are other gospel stories that offend common sense and sensibilities. Think “turn the other cheek” and flipping tables in the temple. Gratefully Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John described Jesus as he really was, and not as anyone would have imagined him to be. And that’s good, because what we are prone to see as gospel bugs are actually gospel features – essential pieces of what makes our new life in Jesus abundant.

So in keeping with the rigor of Lent, in coming weeks I’ll address some extra challenging facets of our faith: the reality of sin and our accountability, Jesus’ bold claim to be God’s unique provision for salvation, supernatural realities beyond our natural worldview, the many foibles and failings of the church, and the puzzles of answered and unanswered prayers. Finally, during Holy Week we’ll focus on the central scandal of our faith – the cross.

Christian apologists appeal to non-believers both by showing the reliability of the scriptures, and by engaging their inborn spiritual hungers. Those are worthy means for introducing the gospel to skeptics and seekers. What is unworthy is to sand off the rough edges of our faith so that we won’t seem so odd. Give it up! If you follow Jesus, you are and will be odd, as he was – and also more alive than you’ve ever been!