And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Genesis 1: 3
There is nothing better with a cup of coffee on a cold February—or March—morning than a warm-from-the-oven Fastnacht. I realize February is gone and March has already arrived but pardon me for regressing. Fastnacht Day, the Tuesday prior to the Lenten season, is also known as Fat Tuesday, or in some traditions, Mardi Gras or Carnival or Festival. What is Lent all about? People who observe Lent often give up something they love, such as sweets, alcoholic beverages, or perhaps, fun and festivities that stand in the way to a good relationship with God. A good definition comes from Christianity.com:
“Lent is meant to be a time of repentance. These 40 days are set aside to praise and worship the Lord: to read the Bible more, and to pray more often. Christians who observe Lent correctly anticipate deeper intimacy with the Lord. [ii]”
I recently re-read The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. Dumas writes about the Carnival in Rome prior to Lent. The celebration is a wild time with every source of illumination imaginable lighting up the streets of Rome: candles, bonfires, lanterns. Everyone had a light. One of his characters, Albert de Morcerf, revels in the streets where all is bright and colorful. Then midnight arrives and in one sudden moment all is dark. His character gropes about desperate to find what he believes will satisfy his perceived desires, only to get into deeper darkness. He faces death. After days of distress, he is rescued by the Count. Without Christ, as the characters in our own story, we too grope about as we try to light our way in a self-sufficient world.
Many Christians around the world observe the Lenten season. The Church calendar sets these days aside to reflect on the Christian walk and to lay aside the worldly things that dim our light—our witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether we observe the season or not is not as important as a daily time of reflection throughout the calendar year. Do we walk with Jesus, in step and in the same direction? Are we His light for those lost in the dark?
When God formed our world, He created light as His initial creation. He created light so, when He put people upon the earth, these humans would be able to see Him through the beauty of His creation and then glorify and enjoy His presence. These ancestors of ours, however, turned off the light of God and tried to make the artificial light of pleasures, possessions, and their hunger for power. They turned God’s perfect world upside down and created a dark world with artificial sparklers—flashes in the pan.
Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from Him.
(1 John 2: 15-16 The Message Paraphrase) [iii]
Again, whether or not you observe Lent is not as important as a daily time to refresh the Light in your life. Every day is time to adore our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for who He is and what He has done for us; a time to thank Him for saving us and keeping us, for giving us claim to His Name; a time to confess our yesterdays and repent of our doubts, our fears, our practical unbelief, our sins of commission and omission; a time to appeal to Him for mercy and grace for the day ahead. Then as we walk by His side throughout our day, we become a candle for others to see Him in all His brightness.
No deprivations of foods, fun, or festivities can make the light of Christ shine in and through us. Only when we walk in His presence through the Word of God and prayer will we ever truly walk in the Light.
Challenge: Whether you observe the Lenten season or not, do you come into His presence daily to worship Him, to learn more and more about Him, and to commit yourself to walk with Him?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to see You in light of our own darkness—to see You as the True Light. Forgive us and help us to lay aside any desire we may have for our own ways. Forgive us when we forget Your goodness and try to substitute lesser things. Forgive us when we want people to see us as important. We ask because of Calvary and in Your Name. Amen.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5: 14-16
All Scripture from English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise indicated
[i] https://www.experiencepa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Fastnachts.jpg
[ii] https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/what-is-the-purpose-of-lent.html
[iii] 1 John 2 MSG – I write this, dear children, to guide – Bible Gateway
