Lent is a time to slow down, to reflect on our lives, and to contemplate how we might grow closer to Christ in our words and deeds. Such growth requires risk, letting go, confronting things that may be painful, and shifting patterns of thinking and acting. Wise teachers of psychology, sociology, and spirituality agree that for this kind of growth to occur, a key requirement is a deep sense of safety. Throughout scripture, we are reminded in manifold metaphors that God is our safe space. God is our shelter; we dwell in the “shadow of God’s wings,” we are held in God’s strong arms, God is our refuge and fortress, the solid rock that holds us firm, the lover in whose heart we abide. Like a seed that is planted in the earth to do its work of growth, we are held in God’s grace to do ours. In this Lenten season, we will reflect on the gift of being grounded in grace, held and nourished to move ever closer to the light of Christ.
