Cleaning out and letting go...

Did you give up something for Lent? Was it hard to let it go? Did you take on something for Lent? Is it hard to keep it up? As we are moving through this season of self-examination, there are points along the way where perhaps the disciplines we are engaging in become rather difficult. The temptation to retreat from the wilderness becomes overwhelming. The simplicity of enjoying fellowship with God becomes another chore to do. The call by Brother Lawrence, the Carmelite monk we’ve been learning about, is to enjoy constant conversation with God in ALL that you do. But, there are always things ready to stand in our way. Maybe there’s something within us or in our lives that is holding us back?

When Jesus drives out the moneychangers at the Temple in John 2, in essence he is “cleaning” up the place. He is preparing it for something new that God is doing in and through him. It’s a powerful metaphor for our own spiritual lives. What needs to be “cleaned out” in order to make room for new life (the promise of Easter)? What material things might we need to let go of in order to fully seek God? What misperceptions, stereotypes and prejudices might we need to rethink in order to fully live into who God is inviting us to be? How might we move towards a simplicity that allows us to be linked with the divine presence in our lives?

I don’t know exactly, but I do know it may require a little “cleaning out” and letting go.

Jimmy