About this time last year, I accidentally switched something in my head. While I was attending Ash Wednesday services, I was listening to the words that were being said as everyone else received their ashes.
"Turn away from sin; embrace the gospel."
But my silly, slightly dyslexic brain switched it and thought, "Embrace sin; turn away from the Gospel." Immediately, I felt a flush of blood in my cheeks and glanced around to see if anyone had noticed. I meant to repeat mentally what was being said because I liked the sentiment behind it. I certainly didn't mean to think that; it just popped in my head that way.
This morning after I received my ashes, I laughed to myself about how silly that thought was. But then, this thought struck me: many people are living Lent's message in a reversed manner, not just now, but for most of the year. Many people, on an everyday basis, do, "embrace sin and turn away from the gospel." Why do we do this? The most obvious answer is because it's easy. Embracing sin means there are no morals to abide by, no sufferings to experience, and no higher authority to answer to except one's own selfish desires. The other answer is ignorance of sin, much like I was at this point last year.
This is why it's all the more important for those of us who will "Turn away from sin, and embrace the Gospel" to do it with much fervor. We need invert the predominant attitude among people, showing them the love of God and for God, not just by wearing ashes on our head one day a year or giving up a favorite food item or facebook for forty days, but we need to do this throughout the entire year. We should invert our whole year so that it always seems like we're in the spirit of Lent.
Lord, help me to turn away from sin and embrace the Gospel.
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