Immediately after his baptism, the Spirit drove Jesus into the desert. There for 40 days Satan tested him.
After John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming, “The time is fulfilled. God’s reign has come near. Repent and believe in the good news.”
Mark 1.15
In Sunday’s gospel Jesus says, “Reform your lives and believe in the good news.” The good news is that everything is possible—not easy, but possible. In the midst of wars, acts of violence, poverty, lack of affordable health care services, and education for millions, we choose to hope, to act for change.
The practices we choose for Lent symbolize our hopes. We say in effect that we believe new life can come. We believe that we have the power of the spirit within us to initiate transformation in the world.
What is testing your spirit this Lent
What is your hope for Lent?