From Ron ...
By my count, Ash Wednesday marks about the 750th consecutive day of Lent. It’s more than a little challenging to think about entering (read continuing) a time of introspection and soul-searching given all we’ve been enduring over the past two years. Regardless of what calendars and lectionaries say, I’m still waiting for Easter 2020.
A week or so ago as I was engaged in some [pre] Lenten brooding and navel-gazing, Easter 2022 arrived in our mailbox — yes, even before journeying through the season of Lent.
I have a decades-long friendship with a kindred spirit from Capreol, Ontario. If you don’t know where that is, imagine the city centre of Sudbury on a map, head north toward Lake Wanapitei (a fascinating meteor-crater lake) and stop before you arrive at the lake. You can’t miss it. Hah!
I first met Judy (and a number of her musical friends) at a workshop I was leading at the Five Oaks Centre in Ontario. We haven’t seen Judy or Brian in person in nearly ten years. However, each year we receive a Christmas or New Year’s card and message from them.
Judy is one of those rare people who was born with a permanent smile implant. She is the personification of optimism. Every time I see her, she brightens my day. She has three loves that I’m aware of: nature, music and Brian (in no particular order).
Judy’s Christmas/New Year’s card was more of a Valentine’s card this year in terms of timing. I had to grin as I read it. Among other things, she confessed that she is the Musiklus Subscriber who actually reads this stuff I write as the lead-in to our newsletters. I closed my eyes and could see her face, eyes sparkling, lips formed in that perpetual smile mode. And there it was: my early (or very late) Easter gift in the midst of a very crappy day and week.
I guess this reminded me — as if I needed reminding — how important it is to reach out to others, especially at a time like this. These days it seems to have become uncomfortably comfortable living in our various degrees of isolation.
Whether our Lent is 40 days or 750 days, Easter does come. For me, this year it came a little early (or very late) in a hand-written card carrying a belated Christmas greeting. The theological link between Christmas and Easter became very real for me thanks to someone in Northern Ontario who cared enough to simply be in touch.
Maybe this is a Lent to mix it up a little. Perhaps this is a Lenten season when it wouldn’t hurt to infuse a bit of joy into our times of reflection. Fred Kaan spoke of not confining special times and events to particular seasons when he wrote "Celebration Everywhere, Any Time". Written about 45 years ago, some of the language isn’t what he would likely use today. Still, the message is profound enough for me to continue singing it. Check it out.
P.S. Thank you, Judy.