Today is Fat Tuesday all around the world, and millions are living it up. Although the original meaning of the day has been lost in the reveille of the the party; the day still holds a special place in the rhythm of the calendar of the faithful.
The day before Ash Wednesday has traditionally been a time of preparation for confession, a time where the old is finally been pent up for the long journey of Lent. The Lent season is upon us as those of us who celebrate the tradition prepare for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus. We fast from things in our life that take our attention off the hope of life and life more abundantly.
We believe evey person on the planet is living in the muck and the myer of life, looking for hope. It's not a condition special to the faithful, everyone on earth has the same longing. It's a plague of humanity.
Imagine the world much like a fish living in a bowl of muddy water. No matter what kind of fish you are, we all have to endure the filthiness of disease, disappointment, and ultimately death. The only difference between the fish who believe in God and those who choose not to is, the hope of something different. We have a hope the muddy water will one day be clean.
It must be.
We can't simply think the world spins with all its ills, and not hope for something better. Why would you ever get out of bed if all you had to look forward to was the hope of death? Each day we are either living or dying, and the bottom line is, if you're search for meaning has led you to a place where the hope of life rules, you're living in the present, and you'll go on living...FOREVER!
Fat Tuesday isn't just a party. It's a time when believers all over the world are in preparation for a long season of anticipation. We anticipate hope. We anticipate life. We anticipate meaning through the gospel story.
I'm excited to post my Lent Journey with you this season. I'd love for you to join me as we await the celebration coming. We start Ash Wednesday tomorrow and we journey until Sunday April 8th.
I look forward to hearing your stories as well. Feel free to post your journey, and we can do this thing together. Share it with your friends, and let's see what happens. Not all of us will make it to the end, but it will be fun as we lock arms together.
I wonder...
What would happen if thousands of teens and college students all over the world took the time to prepare, sacrifice, and focus this season? Would the world notice?
