"Season of Sorrow"

O season of sorrow

when death prevails

be not too long, but in thy presence 

create in us anew.

 

"The Lenten season is meant to kindle a "bright sadness" within our hearts. It's aim is precisely the remembrance of Christ, a longing for a relationship with God that has been lost. Lent offers the time and place for recovery of this relationship. The darkness of Lent allows the flame of the Holy Spirit to burn within our hearts until we are led to the brilliance of the Resurrection."

-Fr. Alexander Schmemann

 

What is this "bright sadness"? My sadness seems to be motivated by the sense that things are not as they should be. We all feel that we do not live the way that we should. Or that when faced with the immovable God of creation we feel as though nothing we can do will fix our standing with him. These things should and i hope do cause a sense of sadness in our lives. Not so that we may be downtrodden and live life in a fake humility, rather that we might be challenged to change the desires of our hearts. This i believe is where the brightness comes in. The reality is that we are subject to something much bigger than ourselves. His name is God and he desires to change us into the very image of himself. When confronted with this reality my sadness is suddenly transformed into a unexplainable hope and desire for things in me to be made right. 

Still, how do we get to the place of being ready and open to receive this sadness which manifests itself into unfathomable joy. It is my opinion that this is the very reason for Lent. For in this time of the year we begin to posture ourselves in a way which will teach us the sufferings of Christ. We are encouraged to remember Christ and to contemplate his sacrifice. In this season of sorrow we are brought closer to the heart of our suffering Messiah. I believe we forget that our Saviour suffered under the authorities unto death, but this suffering had a purpose and that purpose was the redemption of mankind on that Sacred first Easter. This is the beginning of our brightness for we know that death and suffering will be destroyed. Jesus will be resurrected and leave that dark tomb having defeated death. 

My prayer for all of us this season is that we would place ourselves behind Christ in his suffering, so that we may follow him out of the tomb come Easter day and walk into newness of life. That we would look the same but inside our spirits would be renewed. In leaving our figurative tombs and walking into the world new creations we shall truly be the people of God.