Lent is often experienced as a time of preparation, and as we make our way to the resurrection it becomes more and more obvious that what we are preparing for is more; more resurrection power, more peace and joy in hard days, and most importantly more of the presence of Jesus in our lives.
In the last episode we focused in on the reality of suffering. No one likes to suffer…no one likes times of uncertainty that threaten our peace, times of difficulty that seem to drain our joy, but actually suffering is often a catalyst for spiritual growth. In other words, we rarely get to more without the crucible of suffering. And suffering is one of the overarching themes of LENT. How could it not be as we come to the last days of Jesus…what he suffered, what he sacrificed for us? In the last episode, before we got to Jesus, I paused at Job. And I think Job has something hopeful to help us prepare for more in the midst of hard times.
