I found it appropriate that we began this Lenten season on Ash Wednesday which also happened to be Valentine's Day. Interestingly, the two go together very well considering that lent is a time where we should change our hearts, minds, and actions more towards the will of God and service of our neighbor. We might consider that we all might need a “heart transplant” or at least a change of heart. The eternal wish of the Tin Man in the classic story of The Wizard of Oz was for a heart. The Tin Man was willing to travel down the treacherous yet beautiful yellow brick road and take the chance that the wizard might be able to help him. Are we willing to risk the vulnerability of a heart that will love in the same way as Christ loves his church?
Once upon a time two brothers shared a large field and a mill. Each night they divided equally the grain that they had ground during the day. One brother lived alone; the other had a wife and several children. The single brother thought to himself, “it really isn't fair that we divide the grain evenly: I have only myself to care for, and my brother has many mouths to feed.” So each night he secretly took some of his grain to his brothers granary.
But the married brother said to himself, “It really isn't fair that we divide the grain evenly: I have children to care for me in my old age, but my brother will have no one.” So, every night he secretly took some of his grain to his brothers granary. As you may have guessed, both of the brothers found their supply of grain mysteriously replenished each morning.
Then one night they finally met each other halfway between the two houses and suddenly realized what had been happening all those years. They embraced with great affection as the truth was made known to them. God saw their meeting and proclaimed to them both, “this is a holy place, a place of love, a place where I shall abide forever.”
Both of the brothers in this story had the kind of heart that we need. It is not a natural human heart but a heart that loves with the love of God. If we remember that God has made a covenant with us, meaning that his promise is real and cannot be broken, that should remind us that he is with us constantly and encouraging us to sacrifice for others, and to make that sacrifice first before filling our own grain bins. There are many temptations in our world today to take care of ourselves first --- to provide the luxuries that we think we need or deserve, rather than giving first to God and to the church in service of others. Stewardship reminds us that in thanksgiving we give our time, talents and financial treasures in service of God and others first. If we love only with our natural hearts, we will not be able to give without expecting a return, nor will we be able to give back kindness for injury. It's only natural to resent an offense and to react in anger, but we are called to a higher consciousness to a higher love. And to do that we need a heart transplant or at least a change of heart.
Let us all strive to have the heart of Christ as we move through this Lenten journey together. Like Jesus, let us give up more of the self, so that we may gain more of Him.
God Bless,
