Everyone knows people who follow a “CME” religion, displaying up at church solely on the “Huge Three” Black holy days – Christmas, Mom’s Day and Easter.
However like something and every part in life, faith, or quite, one’s non secular growth, isn’t about someday or a singular “magical” second. It’s concerning the course of – a constant dedication to getting a bit higher immediately than you had been yesterday.
The season of Lent is the proper instance of this. Most individuals, Christians included, are fairly acquainted with Easter and its longstanding traditions (the garments, the sweet, the household meals after church). However few notice that Easter is the final day of a complete holy season that will get little to no love (or participation) from most Black Christians. Lent is the non secular season of preparation and course of to open individuals to no matter “resurrection” they want of their lives.
Sure, the Easter resurrection isn’t merely about some occasion that occurred over 2,000 years in the past, as skilled by the Black Messiah. It’s about us immediately accessing the resurrection of hope, imaginative and prescient, religion, group, self-determination, and many others., that we’d like proper now.
However like something we search to attain or accomplish, it ain’t occurring if we’re not keen to interact in “the method” that can ship us to our desired designation. Ask any championship-winning sports activities staff, educational initiative or enterprise endeavor. They are going to all inform you that there’s no hoisting of the trophy, making the grade or dominating market share with out their members all shopping for into the grueling every day processes that made success potential.
That’s why Blackfolk in 2025 want the season of Lent now greater than ever. If we need to emerge from this present social/political onslaught of anti-Blackness that seeks to bury us in a mass grave dug by white nationalist politicians, billionaires and cult followers, we’d like a resurrection of empowerment. However once more, nothing price reaching comes with out participating in a course of.
So, what’s it concerning the processes supplied by the season of Lent that may lead Blackfolk to the resurrection we’d like? I’m glad you requested.
Inward focus
Lent empowers Black folks by difficult us to look inwardly (not outwardly at others) to see the place we fall wanting being our greatest selves.
The phrase “Lent” actually means “spring.” And as is customary with that season, Lent is about individuals participating in a non secular spring cleansing. Lent is that season once we cease specializing in what others are doing or aren’t doing, and concentrate on ourselves. We courageously and truthfully look inward and face what actions we have now failed to do this God and our folks want us to do. What actions have we engaged in that hold us from being our greatest and full divine selves? Lent is all about pointing the finger solely at ourselves so we are able to determine these areas of our lives we have to clear up. And that transfer to take private accountability to your progress is empowering in and of itself.
Recreation-planning
Moreover, Lent empowers Black folks by calling us to make particular recreation plans so we are able to every transfer to raised mirror the very best of who we’re (potentials, abilities, concepts, and many others). In different phrases, Lent is about greater than itemizing all of the methods you’ve fallen quick and staying in that pitiful place of disgrace and remorse. Lent is meant to be about figuring out these areas so you possibly can then have interaction in processes and practices that transfer you to the expansion you need.
So, in a really actual sense, Lent is about re-envisioning the particular person you need to be, the divine being God created you to be and the change agent Black folks want you to be. Then, it’s about you creating your recreation plan to make it occur. It’s about you deciding which acts of religion (actions and practices) it’s essential have interaction in to permit the God in you to be resurrected.
These acts of religion can take the form of a number of issues, together with service to your congregation or the higher group; elevated giving of your time, abilities and treasures; and/or practising with extra consistency the non secular disciplines of prayer, fasting, meditation, actions, and many others.).
However the principle factor right here is you’re not caught wallowing in “disgrace;” you’re planning your resurrection course of.
Actions over intentions
Lent empowers Black folks by charging us to take actions to make ourselves and our world higher quite than merely ready for some exterior pressure to do for us what God gave us the ability to do for ourselves. In different phrases, Lent is about transferring from good concepts and good intentions to good actions.
Lent is about working in your resurrection plan. If you happen to plan to volunteer with a selected congregational ministry or to function a mentor at a neighborhood faculty, Lent is the time to implement that plan. Your plan could contain investing extra of your time into prayer, Bible research, meditation or every day optimistic affirmations. Cool. Do it. The ability of any course of isn’t merely enthusiastic about it or meaning to do it; it’s truly doing the darn issues.
Divine human effort
Lastly, Lent empowers Black folks by grounding us in our non secular roots. Lent reminds us that when at our greatest, we’ve all the time utilized non secular steering together with our human effort to create change. Lent reminds us that “religion with out works” isn’t solely lifeless, it’s fairly lifeless (James 2:26). Lent additionally reminds us of the phrases Jesus shared along with his folks; phrases, for no matter purpose, are not often shared within the Black church – “What I can do, you are able to do, and even higher issues shall you do” (John 14:12). That’s what Jesus anticipated of his followers. So, why are we, 2,000 years later, nonetheless anticipating Jesus to do for us, what Jesus mentioned we have now the ability to do for ourselves?
Amen, any individual. Let’s have a totally engaged, empowering and resurrecting Lent.
