Thursday After Ash Wednesday

There are half a dozen things, tops, that you can do on the subway: think, observe the people around you, doze, listen to music, read — things we should all do more often. -- Laura Esther Wolfson, Proust at Rush Hour.

We recently moved, and I had to exchange my bus ride for the Red Line Metro. Although the Metro is a much more convenient and faster trip downtown, I was actually anxious about giving up the familiarity of the passengers and the route above ground I had been taking to work for the last 7 years. Our lives are so full of uncertainties and anxieties we cling to our comfort zone whether it is good for us or not. Lent calls us to rid ourselves of some of the old habits that bring us comfort, but are keeping us from exploring a new route in our lives.

We are all anxious about where our country finds itself, and especially anxious about all those people who find themselves out-of-work or lost their retirement and/or savings. But during this Lent and beyond we should find new and exciting routes for our neighbors and ourselves. We might find God has been calling us to do something else, not just to save a little bit more and spend a little bit less, but more importantly to notice and observe our neighbors and find ways to bring them comfort. Now I emerge each morning from the underground to a day full of promise and opportunity. If we begin this Lent to explore new opportunities for ourselves and ways to help our neighbors then we will all emerge from the doldrums of anxiety.

Remember God chooses each and everyone of us. Our choice is how we respond.