A Cracked and Broken World, Where MY Long-Expected Jesus Shines

As we stepped into the season of Lent this last week, in a year that has much hope ahead after several years of so much grief, turmoil, and unknown, and yet still remains fully and firmly still IN the unknown, we need to talk about our expectations of what is to come. We need to talk about expectations because they often determine our feelings and reactions about a situation. And haven’t we all felt like our expectation was that things would be “back to normal” by now? and I am positive NONE of us were expecting Russia to be attempting to start WWIII. I have been disappointed over and over in my life because of wrong expectations but we have ALL had our fair share just in the last 2 years FOR REALZ!

Expectations are tricky business. If we expect the salt shaker to contain salt but it actually contains sugar, that will greatly alter the taste of what we put in our mouth, and therefore I would guess, create quite a surprise reaction, and most likely not a good one. Any jokesters out there like to pull the old switcheroo of the salt and sugar? Yeah, that’s not funny.

But what if we are supposed to be the salt and we aren’t actually living as our true selves? Hmmm….

Let me just back up a sec and say this: I was writing this to share almost two weeks ago and my expectation was to share a word of encouragement BEFORE we began a season of what I consider to be “an important season of sacrifice” to prepare our hearts with contemplation about what is to come. And things got complicated. There’s a war going on which has me all tied up in knots with worry honestly (I know I know, I’m not supposed to worry) because I know someone that was living in Ukraine, had to evacuate, and has been sharing personal stories that are just heartbreaking. Plus, my son is in the Navy in Japan and I just worry about him all the time, (YES, I KNOW, don’t worry!) so the war just heightened my awareness of the danger that ALL of our servicemen and women are facing around the world. My students at school have been extra bonkers for some reason (probably the news coverage??? Probably tik tok…) and I have come home with “fog brain” almost every day. AND, I started grad school last week, and let’s just be honest…it’s a whole new world when you haven’t been in school for 30 years, you have a full time job with a decent amount of stress, and your coursework is all online! And you have fog brain. YIKES! So there was expectation number one of myself already out the window. I didn’t finish writing all my Lenten thoughts and get them out before Lent began. Oh well. I’m choosing to let it go. I’m here now so buckle up.

Let’s start with what Lent is anyway and what our expectations are. Keep reading, I’m not going to get all academic on you. If you aren’t a Christian, or perhaps not Catholic or of one of the denominations that celebrates the season of Lent then you probably have zero expectations other then maybe participating in Mardi Gras or a pancake supper. You’ve maybe seen people with ashes on their foreheads before so you’ve probably heard of Ash Wednesday. Maybe some co-workers or neighbors have talked about not eating meat or things they’re giving up for Lent, but do you really know why?

I’m not really planning to get into all that because you can google it. What I really want to talk about and who I want to talk to are those that have expectations of the season of Lent and of Jesus’ Easter Story bringing some kind of transformation. What are we REALLY expecting to happen when we fast, or give up smoking, or don’t eat meat for the 6.5 weeks of the Lenten season? The point of Lent is to confess, to sacrifice, to give up pleasures and grow closer to God but do we really achieve our purpose? Or are we doing it for the sake of “tradition” or we are “supposed to”? Or maybe you aren’t really giving up anything this year because you are just super pumped that the Houston Rodeo is actually happening this year and that’s all you can think about??? (translation: beer and funnel cake)

Bring it in, people, bring it in. Let’s just muddle through a few thoughts, shall we?

I for one have often struggled with this idea of sacrifice. I grew up with the idea of “giving up” something for Lent, of going to pancake suppers on Fat/Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras), of going to Ash Wednesday service and getting the ashes smeared on my forehead, and preparing for Holy Week and the coming season of Easter, remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus. It’s just what we did. Looking back on my childhood these were traditions that I enjoyed taking part in and didn’t want to miss out on. But it wasn’t until a few years ago when I really started questioning everything I believe that I decided to take a deep look at why I do these things.

I started to wonder what my own expectations really are. Am I expecting some kind of transformation? Am I expecting Jesus to do something miraculous and life changing? Am I expecting Him to reveal Himself in new ways I hadn’t known before? Is something good going to happen to me because I gave something up for 40 days and demonstrated sacrifice? Am I EXPECTING anything or am I just DOING?

One of my favorite hymns is “Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus”. It has always been one that stirred my soul. I mean, seriously. Sometimes I cry while singing it. Today, it embodies where I am spiritually. Jesus’ death on a cross and resurrection that we remember and celebrate on Easter is the cornerstone of my faith but Christians talk so much about heaven and eternal life, and I have learned not to place my hope singularly in His Second Coming. Now, don’t freak out. I have a very firm grasp of what I believe and I believe the Second Coming is what we all hope for! But listen people, JESUS ALREADY CAME. Don’t miss this.

“Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free.
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.”

The reason I say I don’t want to put all my hope eggs in the Second Coming Easter basket is that I want Resurrecting-Jesus to be the current reality of NOW. I want the Jesus who really came to save us from ourselves by FAITH, not the fabricated one who saves us from our enemies through government control. I want the Jesus, born to set us free from the constant cycle of striving to “be better”. Many Evangelical Christians set the expectation that Jesus “needs” us to sacrifice, come clean, get our act together, lose weight, give up smoking, wash our mouths out, and cover up those tattoos before we can approach the throne. For many, in my opinion, their talk makes Him sound like the same powerful conqueror of everybody-except-us that Israel was waiting for more than 2000 years ago. The David against Goliath type of King that they thought would free them of their oppression by the Romans. The leader that would demonstrate military and government power, We don’t need that conqueror now any more than they did. We need loving-Jesus, serving-Jesus, dying-Jesus resurrected in us and SHINING OUT for the world. That’s the REAL Jesus that is already standing up saying “Hi, I’m right here!”

We need the LONG expected Jesus to shine His light in the darkness through our cracks and brokenness TODAY. For it is THROUGH our cracks that HE will shine the brightest! Do we really have the expectation that we have to heal and spackle all those cracks and chips and broken pieces BEFORE we can be useful in His kingdom? Have we switched all our salt shakers to sugary sweet fakery? I am here to testify my friend that whoever is selling you that load of crap is gravely misinformed. They are selling it as “eternal life” but I’m here to testify that Jesus came for the ABUNDANT LIFE in the here and the RIGHT NOW. For when we try to hide our REAL selves and who we have become BECAUSE of this broken world and HIS work IN us, we are very broken indeed for we are hiding Jesus and what He is DOING in and through our lives!

Sisters and Brothers, Jesus has already come for the RELEASE of the working and striving so that we might find REST in Him. REST from the striving. REST from the trying so hard. REST from being good and perfect. Go ahead and fast if you feel it will bring you spiritually closer to the Lord. I’m not going to judge you for doing the spiritual practices that bring you meaning and comfort and help you grow in faith, but if you are doing it for some expectation that He has of you, just stop. You are missing this moment to be at peace in His loving arms.

Here’s what you can give up for Lent this year: give up the expectations. Just stop seeking Him because of the expectations. He has none. Zero. Zip. Nadda. Simply seek the LONG EXPECTED Jesus who is already HERE. He’s the real deal, the one that is both shepherd AND king of our hearts. He doesn’t need us to DO anything to fight for Him or save anyone or make people stop behaviors because they are “sinning”. HE is the one that will do the saving. You are not doing Him or anyone any favors with displaying your righteousness. I promise. He might hate the sins but He ABSOLUTELY 100% LOVES the people. He loves YOU and He loves our neighbors. ALL of them. Every single one. Yep, even that Trans youth that Greg somehow decided is not worthy in God’s kingdom. Just shut the hell up already, Greg! (Listen my LGBTQ friends – you are WANTED in God’s kingdom, just as you are!)

People need to see your cracks, your flaws, your messiness. We need to let others have cracks and flaws, and messiness. People need to see that you are real. (Well, don’t be a mean person on purpose…that’s not really helpful. I mean, there is a balance to what I’m saying. You should probably also apologize sometimes…just saying.). And when you follow it up with “and this is what Jesus did in my life…”, and here’s a cup of soup and a cookie. Now THAT is true salt and light! Let’s do THAT for Lent and EXPECT that it is enough.