February the 18th was Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Many churches – Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and others – observe Lent for forty days leading up to Easter. The observance is to prepare the mind to contemplate the Lord's crucifixion and resurrection. The New Church does not specifically observe Lent, but it is worth noting its qualities.
As we are reminded in December, Christmas is not simply one day in the year, but a daily event when the Lord is born in each of us. It is similar with Lent; the essence of that observation is always with us when we try to emulate the Lord, regardless of the date on the calendar, for it represents the Lord's battles against evil, culminating in His victory over them.
In the course of our lives, we endure temptations of different types, some easy, some severe, but none as severe as His temptations. And, as the Lord was victorious in His battles with hell and rose from the tomb, so with His power, we can be victorious as well, and He lifts us up into the peace that follows the battle.
The forty days of Lent represent the forty days the Lord spent in the wilderness while being tempted by the devil, after which He emerged stronger and ready to begin His public ministry, as shown in the Gospel of Luke 4:14-15:
'And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of Him through all the region round about. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.'
Temptations arise when the evil spirits of hell attach to the things a person loves, and the deeper the love, the graver the temptation. This is true for us, but was even more so for the Lord, for His love is the salvation of every person ever created. It is the nature of His love to draw people close to Him in a reciprocal bond of love and bless them with heavenly life. The only way to love others is to put aside the things of selfishness.
