The quote above is from the closing words of Jennifer Baskerville-Burrow’s reflection and they serve as a perfect invitation to our Lenten journey. I recently asked a group of people what they thought the difference was between going on a trip and going on a journey. The group was unanimous in their response. They said that going on a journey implies that you are changed internally by the experience, whereas going on a trip does not necessarily create such a change within us. Given this distinction, it makes perfect sense for Jennifer to frame Lent as a journey because in this season we seek to be changed by deepening our connection with God, our neighbor, and ourselves.
The word salvation means healing and comes from the root word salve, as in something that you put on a wound. Jennifer wrote in her reflection that she hoped our Lenten journey would lead to healing, both of ourselves and our world. All journeys are from one point to another, and as we begin our Lenten journey, we invite you to reflect on the point from which you are starting by reflecting on the question in the “Making it Personal” section below.
Making It Personal: As you begin your Lenten journey, what are your hopes for this experience? Is there any dis-ease or lack of ease in your life right now for which you seek healing? If so, might that dis-ease be related in any way to the theme of forgiveness that we will focus on in this devotional?