Ash Wednesday 2021

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is a love story and in 2018 it fell on Valentine’s Day.

Many people give something up for Lent, I prefer to take something up. Since the beginning of Lent coincides with Valentine’s Day this year, I am going to take up love. I am going to try and love people more, not in an affectionate way but in a higher, quieter, more appreciative way. To love them with understanding for their task of becoming fully human, and all the challenges that involves.

Each week during Lent we can consider the Seven Sayings From the Cross. I wrote about them in my book Who is Jesus : What is Christ? Volume 5

The sayings are the words which were spoken by the Christened Jesus during his crucifixion:

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. Luke 23:34

Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. Luke 23:43

Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother. John 19:26–27

My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Matthew 27:46 & Mark 15:34

I thirst. John 19:28

It is finished. John 19:30

Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Luke 23:46

We can explore these sayings in different ways as I have previously explained. “It is second nature to view this crucifixion as an event outside us, but how does it pan out if it happens within our own skull? How can we understand these beings as part of our own consciousness? Here we have Christ nailed to our brain and on each side of him are two criminals, kakourgos, from kakos which means to be of a bad nature, a destructive mode of thinking, feeling and acting; and ergon which means energy or work. We could assign one side of the brain to each criminal with Christ in the center.

If we then looked at the functions of the brain as a whole we probably find a destructive element that is always being pulled back into balance by the central Christ force to the extent that it is operative. This precisely explains the work we must do in our consciousness all day every day; always seeking the balance between the various forces.” Kristina Kaine, Who is Jesus : What is Christ? Volume 5

I have written a lot about Lent (and all the other Christed Festivals) which are now published in this book https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08D6CPL8D/