So yes. This season of Lent. Simplicity. Discipline. Focus. And I've always sort of vaguely understood Lent as a time of sacrifice. Sacrifice that doesn't even nearly approach what we're talking about Jesus doing in dying for our redemption, but sacrifice in some mystical, general way. So some of us give up meat or sugar or facebook and draw closer to God in the process. But this little meditation that we did talked about the central sacrifice at stake as we approach Easter is dignity:
"if I am honest, my Lenten sacrifice is mostly self-help-- giving up something I probably should not be doing anyway. Would I risk my reputation or any of the other things that give me a sense of dignity in order to help others? Do I treat my dignity as a gift of which I am a grateful steward, or as something that I have earned?"Chewing on that, and on Philippians 2:5-11, I began to think about our common perception of dignity. It's something we hold onto, fearfully protective. We talk about earning the respect of others-- often for good things we do. And yet, there is this crazy invitation if we take seriously what it means to be like Christ, who didn't exploit his equality with God, but emptied himself, humbled himself, became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross. It is an invitation to know our worth without having to earn it. In sacrificing all dignity, Jesus clothed us in the worth and unending love of the Father. What would happen if we gave up something a little dearer than chocolate cake?
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