Sermon, Ash Wednesday (C)

One of the analogies I’ve used during Lent is that of the rear view mirror: every car has them, and they are useful! …when we use them.

They’re also proportional for safe driving – the view forward is wide and large; the view back is smaller – and it helps to guide and influence our way as we journey forward.

This Lent, I’m going to focus on the side mirrors or wing mirrors.

These are also really handy when we’re driving – we know the benefit of seeing what’s beside us, so that as we are moving forward, we can have perspective of our surroundings: this helps with safety, and comfort – we don’t want our tires going off the road, etc.

There’s a saying on those mirrors, though:

Objects In Mirror are closer than they appear.

When I was a child, I misread the preposition than – I saw it as THEN.

Objects are closer – THEN they appear!

It seemed to my mind that whatever objects in the mirror would pop up out of nowhere – because they were already waiting.

It confused me; what on earth could be attached to the car that would spring up to be seen?

I spent a lot of time during car rides staring intently at that mirror – to make sure I wouldn’t be surprised by those close yet hidden objects. If they were sneaky enough to need a warning on the mirror – this was serious.

The challenge with this, then, was that I was so focused on waiting for a surprise that I missed the journey – I didn’t see the scenery, I didn’t watch the road ahead, I didn’t pay attention to the people I was in the car with.

And in those times when I wasn’t looking at the mirror, I was thinking about it. It was almost a fixation… I wanted to be sure that nothing would sneak up on me. SO I ignored a great deal in order to focus on one thing.

(For the record, there were never any sneaky objects just appearing in that mirror).

Life is kind of like that, though – where every moment we get to decide where we’re going to look. At every moment, there are abundant options around us, vying for our attention, telling us that they are important and deserving of our time and energy.

And these are not referring just to cars in the next lane; these are events and relationships and encounters and experiences – the ordinary and the extraordinary: they are coming to us every day.

And if we’re not careful, some of these things do pop up out of nowhere – because while we were looking one way, they were coming another.

So we’re being invited to pay attention: to be aware of our surroundings, to be prepared on how to respond to our surroundings.

In the car, we use our mirrors: in addition to our windshield.

…most of the time. We catch ourselves surprised by what’s around us when we haven’t been intentional about looking.

So yes: you can tell where I’m going with this.

Life is full of surprises, and if we’re not paying attention, we’ll be surprised: and that isn’t always a safe or healthy thing. Those things that blind-side us can hinder our faith journey as well as our physical and emotional journey.

So this Lent, I’m going to invite us to spend these days glancing into our metaphorical side mirror.

Because sometimes, there are things in our life that ARE closer than they appear.

There can be challenges and difficulties that are here; and if we have seen them coming, we can prepare ourselves to best respond.

There can be spiritual hiccups and temptations that can pop up: and if we’re looking for them, and see them coming, then when they are closer than they appear, we are ready for them.

And there are nurturing, healthy, and helpful realities, that are closer to us than they may appear, that we can turn to this Lent.

We hear from the scriptures:

The Kingdom of God is near.

The promise of salvation is near.

The forgiveness of sins is near.

The redemption of our bodies and souls is near.

The Good News of God is near.

These truths, these foundations of our faith, are near – and may be closer than they appear.

So let’s look for them.

Let’s spend this time of Lent in Holy ways, addressing the opportunities of spiritual growth and nurture.

Let’s not be afraid of looking to the past only so much as it helps us on our way.

Let’s open our hearts to be surprised by the daily appearance of the divine in our lives.

As the prophet Joel declared: Return to the Lord, your God, who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.

God is waiting for us: and is closer than it may appear. Thanks be to God.