Are you sitting uncomfortably?

The wilderness is not a very comfortable place to be in, and yet Lent is all about taking ourselves to that place. I think this thought pattern comes from a large dose of guilt as my blogging took a break over my holiday, a place of comfort and relaxation. I seem to have put Lent on hold which is not really good practice.

I come back however to a sense of discomfort, for my head is still in the Lenten muddle, in a wilderness of its own, which is what brings me to thinking about the uncomfortable nature of the wilderness. Above all there appears to be loneliness and isolation as the chief problems. Other issues depend on the wilderness that you have chosen, some are rich in food and some will involve a great deal of fasting. Some are hot and dry, others are cold and wet. One the whole not many wilderness settings are places of extreme comfort. They involve sacrifice and in some cases pain.

But then when we think about the cross, the rough wood digging into Jesus’ back, the crown of thorns and the nails, not to mention the whipping and the beating, the discomfort of Lent seems like nothing. When we are called to take up the cross, what we actually endure is perhaps nothing compared to the real thing.

And yet at the same time there are Christians who do tae up the cross for real, who do face the beatings and even death for their faith. So as I sit in the comfort of my living room perhaps I need to take up the discomfort a little more heartily.