I recently took a driving trip and found the blues channel on my xm radio. I have always liked the melancholy sound of the blues. They are deep and thoughtful. This may seem counter-intuitive but I do not find the blues depressing. They are hopeful. In the end, the singer is longing for the love or the life that they know is possible. Maybe not right now. Maybe not within these circumstances but they trust that the life and love they seek is out there.
Hope buried beneath real life - that is also how I experience the season and message of Lent. It is during Lent that we acknowledge the sometimes stark realities of life. Disappointment. Heartache. Loneliness. We move through these 40 days more slowly, examining the shadows that we overlook the rest of the year. During Lent we acknowledge the shadows as a part of life. That is healthy. We can't spend everyday shouting [alleluia]. The season of Lent is that surreal time when we acknowledge and live in our brokenness and yet each Sunday we also live in the hope and promise of Easter. So lent is not all about being depressing and wallowing in our sins. It reflects the duality of real life - just like the blues.
All along I inteded to include a song in this blog but then got completely sidetracked for a few days listening to the blues! If you want more suggestions than the link below, you can't go wrong with: B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, or Mavis Staples.
Here's to embracing the fullness in both the Blues and the season of Lent.
~ Pam
Hope buried beneath real life - that is also how I experience the season and message of Lent. It is during Lent that we acknowledge the sometimes stark realities of life. Disappointment. Heartache. Loneliness. We move through these 40 days more slowly, examining the shadows that we overlook the rest of the year. During Lent we acknowledge the shadows as a part of life. That is healthy. We can't spend everyday shouting [alleluia]. The season of Lent is that surreal time when we acknowledge and live in our brokenness and yet each Sunday we also live in the hope and promise of Easter. So lent is not all about being depressing and wallowing in our sins. It reflects the duality of real life - just like the blues.
All along I inteded to include a song in this blog but then got completely sidetracked for a few days listening to the blues! If you want more suggestions than the link below, you can't go wrong with: B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, or Mavis Staples.
Here's to embracing the fullness in both the Blues and the season of Lent.
~ Pam
