Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Fat Tuesday

Today is Fat Tuesday. People are gathered in New Orleans celebrating Mardi Gras. Tomorrow is the beginning of Lent. In the Christian tradition, it is a time of penance and prayer in preparation for Easter. This is a serious time although it doesn't have to be grim. Whether you spend the time giving up something like smoking or chocolate, or prefer a more positive approach by attempting to do something new and extra like spending more time in silence and solitude, it is a good time to reflect on your life. Sometimes I feel good about my life and sometimes I don't. Every life has many dynamics involved. The demands on our lives can change from day to day. Sometimes we get older and our ability to adapt gets more challenging. People are in and out of our lives and relationships change. We are all plagued by a worldly busyness that is difficult to avoid. Sometimes it is all I can do to get through the day with some measure of sanity. On days like that I wonder how well I am living. Lent is a time where we try, as best we can, to retreat and pull back enough that we can have some perspective on how well and faithfully we are living. It is a challenging thing to do in today's fast paced, ever changing, life with all its many demands. As best I can in the coming weeks, I am going to pull back, slow down, resist the pull of the world, and reflect. I may schedule a few vacation days just to be alone. You should all do the same.

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