By Pastor Pam Seebach
Harmony, Mabel, and Newburg United Methodist Churches
The dictionary defines “wondrous” as inspiring a feeling of wonder or delight. When I think about the season of Lent, I can find wonder, but I do not find delight as I consider Jesus’ last days or weeks on earth. Spoiler alert: Jesus dies! but then he is resurrected! There is an American folk hymn entitled “What Wondrous Love is This?” which often is sung during Lent. Several of the lines ask, “What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul… that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul?” It IS a wonder that God’s Son would acquiesce to dying a horribly painful death to save the likes of us, isn’t it?
I look at all the pain and suffering caused by humans in this world and… I wonder! Why? Why would God allow Jesus to die – for us? It’s pretty clear we don’t deserve it. Then, why? The reason, my friends, is that God loves us just that much. God knew back then, and knows now, that we can’t save ourselves. We humans get sidetracked much too easily to save our own selves. So, God sent Jesus to save our souls by showing us what it means to love.
In the 1st Letter of John, chapter 4, it says, “This is love: it is not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as the sacrifice that deals with our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us this way, we also ought to love each other.” (Common English Bible) Lent presents us with a great opportunity to think about and practice this art of loving each other. In my churches, we are practicing the expression of love this Lent with a campaign called “Give Instead of Give Up.” Instead of giving up chocolate or alcohol or swearing for Lent, we are giving much-needed non-perishable goods to the local food pantries each week. This campaign may not end the wars around the world, nor will it solve all the crime in our country, but it may allow more local families to fill their hungry stomachs. As the hunger pangs recede and the worry over how to feed their children is lessened, we hope our neighbors will know someone cares. God loves them, and so do we. “What wondrous love is this?” This is the wonderful, delightful love of Jesus Christ, expressed through canned goods and willing hearts.