We are now partway through our Lenten journey exploring The Way of Jesus. If you are anything like me, you may have begun the season with good intentions — a practice to try, a prayer to keep, a hope for deeper focus — only to discover that life continues to be full, messy, and demanding.
And that is precisely where the Way of Jesus meets us.
So far, we have wandered into the wilderness, where we learned that uncertainty is not failure but formation. We have been invited onto the “higher way” of God’s abundance and welcome in a world shaped by scarcity and division. And we have begun to notice that love often leads us along unexpected routes — the way around rather than the straight line.
Lent does not ask us to be perfect travelers. It invites us to be honest ones.
The truth is, most of us walk this road carrying grief, worry, questions, responsibilities, and fatigue. Some are scared. Some of us are seeking direction. Others are longing for rest. Still others are wondering if faith can still speak into the realities of today’s world. The good news is this: Jesus’ way is not reserved for the certain, the strong, or the spiritually confident. In fact, it is precisely for people wondering not just why their ducks are not in a row, but what pond they wondered off to this time! It is a path wide enough for doubt, deep enough for sorrow, and sturdy enough for hope.
In the weeks ahead, we will continue toward the radical welcome of God’s grace and toward the freedom that comes when we trust that God is making a way, even where none seems possible.
As we approach Palm Sunday, we will also explore what it means to live our faith visibly: to embody humility, compassion, and courageous love in our community and our daily lives. We may even end up with an opportunity to do something as a faith community to proclaim loud our Savior’s love.
If you have fallen behind in a Lenten practice, you are not behind.
If you have struggled to find quiet space, God is not absent.
If this season has been heavy, you are not walking alone.
Lent is not a spiritual performance. It is a pilgrimage.
And every step along the Way — whether confident or faltering — can lead us closer to the heart of God.
