Thursday, March 19, 2009

Negativity

One would think that it is easy to become negative in Lent. After all, there is that focus repentance, on our own lack, on our folly. I've been looking at America and seeing the vapid nature of our culture. Isn't it thus easy to become negative?

No. Because Christ is bigger than all of this. That's part of the point of Lent. Everyone likes to think that their culture, their time, their place, their life is fantastic (or at least they feel the need to promote their own). But the thing is, the same criticism of people today are true of any day and age. . . every culture has horrid flaws because they are filled with flawed people.

And yet, Christ Jesus and His Church has spread throughout the world. We are part of the Church catholic, the Church in every time and place -- the Church where we have seen our Lord bring His healing Gospel even to the messed up folks of the past living in the messed up cultures of the past.

Is it negative to see your own lack, your culture's messed up priorities? Not at all - it reminds us simply not to trust in earthborn princes or even our own works and to cling to Christ alone - confident in His love for us and our salvation. What could be more positive and truly uplifting than that?

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