Lent

I associate “Lent,” you see, with that often overlooked English word—lent. As in past tense of lend. As in, past tense of “to let someone borrow.” Because to me, Lent is the most appropriate term to give the forty-day preparation before Easter. It is, after all, borrowed time.

Lent is the one time in the year where everyone is asked to stop whatever they are doing and to sit and to reflect. Reflect on what? Our sins. Of course, that’s inevitable. Our faults. Well, that too must be given time. But mostly, I think, Lent is borrowed time when we can reflect on the infinite love that God gave us. Love that was so strong, so overpowering that it became uncontainable and it spilled forth and came out as tears and blood and water. And if we could scoop up every drop of blood that Christ shed for us, we could wash everyone clean from the beginning of time till its very end and still have enough left over if we all had two lifetimes. And then some.

Yes, Lent is a time for fasting and abstinence, for contrition and sacrifice but mostly it’s a time for love. God is so generous that he even gives us time in the year where we can think of love. Not the commercialized, romanticized love of Valentine’s day. But real love. Pure and true. The kind that gives of itself and holds nothing back. The kind that thinks of nothing else but the benefit of beloved. And forsakes all others for the sake of the beloved. It is as if God says, “Here, I have given you two thousand years to think of my love. But just in case you forget, I will lend you forty days more because nothing gives Me more pleasure than reassuring you of My love.”

And the term “lent” means that something will be asked for in return. That whatever was given will be asked for again. And what is it exactly that we are asked to return? Money with interest? Prime property on the beachfront? A good meal? Of course not. God is not asking from us what He has given us ten thousand times over. All he is asking for is love. Just love.

And when you are faced with that kind of love, what else can you do but sit and reflect and think of love, and be grateful for it and for the time that was lent to you to think about it.