The human spirit is the Lamp of the Lord, searching every inmost part. -- Proverbs 20:27

In other translations the the words “human spirit” are changed to “soul.” Isn’t this passage using either translation what Lent is about? It is not about giving up chocolate or cheesecake, but searching the hidden corners of our mind and soul for those parts of us who in the words of Jack Nicholson, “ ... deep down at places you don’t talk about at parties....”

Once we shine the Lamp of the Lord in those corners we learn to rid ourselves of what we find. We house clean. Then once we have removed it; we burn it. We decide, with God’s help, not only to remove it from our innermost, but to remove it from our lives forever.Easier said than done? “You bet your booties Granny.” ( Am I the only one who is old enough to remember Sugar Bear?)

In the Hebrew tradition before Pesach begins one is instructed to remove all of the chametz from one’s house. The ritual is performed with a candle and a feather. This Lent, all we need is a feather. Once we shine a light on our what separates us from God, he will use a feather to rid us from it forever.

Webb