Some of my
friends have known that Lent is my very special devotional season.
I have done
(and continue to do) some things that many consider "radical" during
the Lenten Season.
I'm sharing
this, this year, in an invitation to my friends to get radical in their walks
with God.
If you can,
share them with me, personally or on my facebook page so that I don't feel like
John the Baptist (a lone voice in the wildnerness) with my Lenten weirdness.
Lent # 1.
The first thing I do, in commemoration of Lent is I color my hair...purple.
This began
approxemately 4 years ago. Walt and I had found a new church (well--new for
us). I was still in the throws
of grief over my mother and the life I had lost in caring for her full-time.
There was a program on in which a woman talked
about reading in the Bible about a woman cutting off all her hair, in grief. I
became determined to wear my grief. But it was Lent. I walked into Sally Beauty
and bought a bottle of Rave purple and never looked back.
It happened that it was also the year that I
made my walk to Emmaus, which ocurred during Lent. Consequently, when I attend
Emmaus Events in Dunklin, there is a host of people looking for my purple hair.
But other
things have happened during my Lenten purple season. As people in the general
puplic comment (as they often do) I have the opportunity to testify.
"That's a neat color" they might say. "I color it purple for
Lent". So often, in people over the age of thirty, there is a "beat"
that they take. I can see in their eyes, they're harkening back to a time when
Lent was a part of their lives. It is a touching moment for me.
#2 "If you color your hair purple, what
are you giving up?"
That is an interesting question, but it was
not hard for me to answer. I am giving up my "invisibility". When I was in High School, one of my good
friends, Michelle, was a baptist. Her entire family were very active in the
church. She was not the secretive about it. Once she was meeting a new neighbor,
I was with her. She was talking about her family and added "And we're
Christians.". I marveled at the way that tumbled out of her mouth, so
easily.
It has not
always been so easy for me to profess my belief and love of Jesus. In fact, in
my life,
it has been
much easier for my faith to remain "invisible", especially in the
circles in which I travel.
Then, with
my purple hair, the first thing I see in the morning, is...me with purple. I
remember, "I do this for Lent". Then I am shopping, the cashier says
"Wow that's amazing hair...is that really purple?"....I respond
"thank you. I do this for Lent." (if she's in her early 20's she
asks) "What is Lent?"..."It's the devotional journey of 40 days
preceeding Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday and ressurection on
Easter."....A smile comes across her face as she "remembers" the
story. "That's cool". My hair
is the conversation starter for a testimony, I wouldn't otherwise give.
#3 I take
out my Lenten Wardrobe. (yes, I actually have a Lenten wardrobe.) If you've
known me for any length of time, you know I have clothing that matches most
holidays and season. Fall/Halloween (of course) Christmas/Holiday, most
recently all reds and pinks for Valentine season. Of course, I have a Lenten wardrobe.
It consists mostly of purple clothing with some grey (the ashes) clothing. It
wasn't that difficult to gather, as I love purple and have had much purple
clothing in my wardrobe though the years.
One of the benefits of this , is I don't have to worry about anything
clashing with my hair.
#4 Watch ALL
the Jesus, Biblical and Pseudo-Jesus Films and doccumentaries that I can find.
The History channel , History 2 and Smithsonian
Channels are replete with "investigative" and theorizing programs
centering around elements of the life of Christ.
Just
recently, I watch one titled "The Wife of Jesus" (falls into my
"DaVinci Code" category).
There are specials on Crucifixion (a gruesome
and painful study--not for the squeemish)
The Holy
Grail (another in the DaVinci code category). I watch ALL doccumentaries on The
Shroud of Turin. There is one about the "Face of Jesus" in which a
researcher produces a Face of Jesus Christ from the iconography on the Shroud
of Turin.
The films
put me in a devotional mood and give me perspective on the sacrifice of Christ,
I don't seem to get in any other way.
The non-documentary films I watch each and
every Lenten Season are:
1) Jesus of
Nazareth Mini Series
2) Jesus
Christ Superstar
3) The
Passion of the Christ
#5 Bake lots
of bread
Christ said "I am the bread of
life". During Lent, my usual bread making process takes on a devotional,
even spiritual quality. I seek someone to bless with the bread after baked.
So there are
some of my Lenten traditions. There are more and some change from year to year.
I wish you
and yours a blessed Lenten season.
Until next
time,
Eat
something delicious
and live a
life worth loving.
-Kim
