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I sat with the "what should I do for Lent?" question for a good long while.
The pandemic stretches on and my heart and soul have been crying for justice on so many issues for so long.
I am tired and weary.
It came to me that I needed a different kind of Lent. Maybe you do too.
One not focused on food and diet in the midst of intense change. One that reclaimed my own power to do good in my little corner of the world, and to support others in their bigger world work.
The whole idea at the very very beginning of this blog was marrying the small c church in my home with the larger C Church out in the world.
More than ever I feel that it is important to shine light into musty places and do the work we can do.
So I made a list of some of the life issues that have been particularly crying out to me. I broke down the season of Lent into roughly one week segments and gave each a life issue of focus. Each week I ask myself two things:
1. What is an action within this issue that I can do to work towards the good?
2. What organizations are doing good work on this issue near me?
It doesn't need to be perfect. It doesn't need to be formally Catholic. It doesn't need to be big.
Do what you can, where you are.
Each of the weeks, I will be holding that particular issue near in my prayer intentions, in my reading, and in how I use my time. But I am not prescribing what that should look like. Maybe one week I pray the same prayer to a particular intercessor every day. Maybe I read a book on the issue. Maybe it's completely different the other weeks, or I change plans within the week.
It's ok.
This idea is all about learning, growing, getting used to taking action, and taking another look around at who is doing good in the community and who I can help.
I will be sharing what I do on Instagram and Facebook. If you would like to share what you are doing, and the good you have found, comment there or you are welcome to DM me (or email if you're not a social media person). If I get enough people sharing, I would like to make compilation blog posts of what you have found and are doing. I personally love hearing about unique ways people have found to serve a need in their community.
I think we could all use another opportunity to share the light.
I'm going to be using the hashtag #LifeIssuesLent for the sake of organizing this project. You're welcome to use it too!
Here's the text version of the graphic:
Life Issues Lent 2021
2/17 - 2/23 Birth and Pregnancy
2/24 - 3/2 Capital Punishment and Prisons
3/3 - 3/9 Healthcare
3/10 - 3/16 Environment
3/17 - 3/23 Racism
3/24 - 3/31 Refugees