The lectionary for Lent, and all Lenten devotionals I have ever seen, follow Jesus from his baptism at the River Jordan all the way to the cross. It a journey, a road..ok? And we’re going on the road (again) with Jesus, so let’s let Willy sing us into the mood:
“On the road again
Goin’ places that I’ve never been
Seein’ things that I may never see again
And I can’t wait to get on the road again..”
I’ll walk along the edge of the road, listening for and watching Jesus scripturally, while I look for junk in the ditch curiously. Jesus looked for junk in the ditch, too, and found it- because he was looking for it! “Junk” in religious law at the time of Jesus included human junk, unclean and not-to be-touched! Jesus found, and spoke about, and DID SOMETHING ABOUT junk that others didn’t want to see, or chose to step around- like a bloody man in the ditch. Or a woman who the men in town could tsk tsk tsk their pointy- nosed morality over, before they picked up stones to smash her skull in- so that she would know they were serious! Or junk like the crazy man out by the reservoir who lived with pigs.
“Goin places that I’ve never been..”
The more I walk behind and just off to the side of Jesus, and the older I get, the less time I want to spend being polite, or nice, or doctrinally protected by layers and layers of cushy meaninglessness. I might embarrass myself, or you- sorry! But I promise to do my best to talk/write about Jesus, the 1st century rabbi, who went sideways across the grain of the status quo, and showed us, if we have the courage to look, how to love. How to survive. And- most importantly- how to do those two things on behalf of others. So I promise not to embarrass Jesus. But if I do, I figure forgiveness will be forthcoming.
“Seein’ things that I may never see again..”
When Jesus said, “blessed are the poor in spirit” he was talking about that drunk who just came into her first AA meeting ever, smelling of Pabst Blue Ribbon and vomit, and cried “Help me!” before passing out. You know that, yes? And he was talking about that young man who escaped from a years-long story of abuse in church and swore he would never set foot in such a place again and never will, but who watches the world in wonder and awe anyway. Him, too: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.”
I can’t wait to get on the road again.
