On Ash Wednesday

I wanted to try to start writing on this blog more regularly, since it is Lent after all. A time for reflection and renewed devotion in gratitude for what the Lord has done for us.

I'd like to write reflections on the book of Ecclesiastes this Lenten season. I may not manage to write everyday, but it should be a good discipline for me, both to get into God's Word, and to write regularly.

But sometimes life can be some banal and mundane, even tedious.
It's hard to maintain that "attitude of gratitude." Sometimes it's hard to be inspired:

4 Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.

5 The sun rises and the sun sets,
and hurries back to where it rises...

7 All streams flow into the sea,
yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
there they return again...

9 What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

~from Ecclesiastes, chapter 1

Ah, but what's old will be new again. That's what the Resurrection is about, that's what Spring reminds us of.

17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

~2 Corinthians 5:17

Instead of everything being meaningless, like Solomon wrote. EVERYTHING has meaning in Jesus. Because of His love and sacrifice, we see that EVERYTHING is about love and healing relationships. Even the greatest tragedy in history brought people together:

"Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)" by Alan Jackson

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry...

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

The greatest is love
The greatest is love
(1 Cor 13:13)