The prelude to Lent crashes this week into reading from Karl Barth. Lent usually presents as a time for penitence in light of God's judgment, for deprivation from our favorite things, for introspection on our great sinfulness. Not really pleasant or fun, not that faith is supposed to be pleasant or fun all the time...but still, the Lenten practices don't exactly scream to be put on the calendar...they kinda whisper to be ignored.

Today, a new perspective for me on Lent. Barth says:
Jesus humbles Himself to our status in order to be our companion in that status, (sinful humans) in order to share with us the assault and temptation, in order to be with us in the misery of that status with all the omnipotence of His divine mercy, in order to change that status from within, in order to turn it for good, for the very best, in order to take away the curse which rests upon us, in order to obviate the impending destruction. He comes, therefore, as a helper, as a redeemer, as the one who brings another and proper order, a life which is life indeed. He comes as the kingdom of God in person. He comes to reconcile the world with God, i.e., to convert it to God...
Basically and decisively--and this is something we must never forget when we speak of the divine Judge--He is the one whose concern is for order and peace, who must uphold the right and prevent the wrong, so that His existence and coming and work is not in itself and as such a matter for fear, but something which indicates a favour, the existence of One who brings salvation. (4.1 pp. 216-217)

If we add Barth's perspective of God coming as Jesus to create order and peace and Jesus' command to be a disciple and do as he commanded...that equals a Lenten season in which we contemplate how we might be more like Jesus, and in so doing perhaps help bring God's order and peace to the world. It is a Lenten season that we give up not our favorite things, but deliberately commit a little--or a lot--of time and energy to work for God in the world.

Lent is no longer the season of fearing God's judgment, but the promise of life out of death, light in the darkness, joy out of despair. A bit like the flower blooming in the snowstorm...