Carpet Diem and the Upside Down Kingdom
Shew. For the last week my life has been turned upside down. You see Holy Week, or Semana Santa, is a pretty big deal here in La Antigua, Guatemala—and for all of Latin America for that matter.Life turned upside down. Hundreds of thousands of people poured into the city to take part in the veneration, adoration, and celebration.Cars choked out black exhaust as they lined up in the narrow streets that resembled more of a parking lot than any kind of thoroughfare. For days, my attic bedroom shook with the rumble of every passing truck, car, and moto. The sidewalks were bloated with people, with families, with little girls in tiny woven skirts, and with the faithful donning purple, black, or white cloaks as they marched in the many processions commemorating the passion of Christ.It was a bit like living in Disneyland for an entire week: the crowds, the lines, the noise, the street vendors calling out assorted fried and fattening foods.
Since the beginning of Lent, there were processions in every town and village and aldea. And not only every town had a procession, but every church in every town had at least a couple of processions. Sometimes, especially when I was trying to find my bus route amidst the chaos, it felt like there was literally a procession on Every. Single Street. To my foreign, non-Catholic eye, it seemed over the top—what more could they possibly be celebrating?How much incense is just enough for the prayers of the faithful to reach the ears of God in heaven without burning his nostrils too?Stores and banks closed from midday-Wednesday on. Families stayed up all night Thursday night to watch processions and participate in making alfombras. Alfombras (or carpets) are beautiful works of art that cover the streets or floors of churches before a procession passes by. They can be made out of flowers or colored sawdust or chalk, and are absolutely stunning to see. The time and care and creativity that goes into each alfombra is truly remarkable, especially considering that they’re literally trampled in minutes when the procession marches over. (My friend and housemate wrote a beautiful post on these works of art here.)
I started the week with a great admiration for these faithful street artists and procession participants, but as the streets filled to bursting and my introverted self cursed my broken noise-canceling headphones, I found myself falling out of the Lenten spirit. I found myself caving to annoyance and silently praying that everyone would just go home already. I didn’t like having my life turned upside down.But as I think about it now (granted from my quiet, crowd-free bedroom), I start to wonder if maybe that’s the point. This turned-upside-down-ness. This break from the status quo.If we're really celebrating how Jesus is God-with-us and how everything has changed with his life and death and resurrection, then maybe a life-stopping celebration is a little more appropriate than pastel eggs and tales of an Easter bunny with jelly bean treats.Maybe we’re meant to be turned upside down. The Kingdom of God is an upside down kingdom, after all. A place where celebration trumps personal space. Where the sick are healed, the captives set free, and the blind can see.And the best part is, this kingdom is here, now. In the Gospels we can see “a new set of signposts, Jesus-shaped signposts, indicating what is to come: a whole new creation, starting with Jesus himself as the seed that is sown in the earth and then rises to become the beginning of that new world.” (Simply Jesus, N.T. Wright)And we are called to be a part of this new world. To be kingdom-bringers, signposts of hope, sowers of healing and pillars of peace in this new upside world where Jesus is alive.And that is a life-stopping celebration I can get behind.Happy Easter, everyone! 
Lent: Turning to Love
I meant to post this yesterday, on Ash Wednesday, but somehow things got away from me. Anyways, here are some of my Lenten thoughts.I've never been a fan of penitence--I mean, who is? Not that I don't feel regret or remorse for the bad things I've done, for the ways I've hurt people. I do. But just the word "penitence" makes me think of a "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" sermon with fiery w
arnings of Hell and scare tactics.I am not drawn to a God of anger, but a God of Love. I serve a Savior whose Law is Love and whose Gospel is Peace.I don't really know what to make of substitutionary atonement, but it's easy for me to see I'm messed up. I'm selfish. I'm prideful. I'm apathetic of others' pain and hurt. It's easy to believe the wages of sin is death. I sow seeds of death every day.And the only antidote is Love. Is Love Himself come down among us, with us. The only answer to this messed up world we live in, to the grains of anger that lead to war and genocide and torture and all of things I could never imagine doing because I have a hard enough time watching crime shows or Fight Club, the only antidote to all of this is the complete opposite of hate and revenge, bitterness and vengeance. It's Love.And I see that in the life of Christ. The life of a man who prayed for and forgave his enemies, not just the distant "them" enemies, but the very enemies who killed him. The ones right in front of him. I see this hope, this love, this answer in the life of a man who served others and chose powerlessness and integrity over power for his own gain. Who healed the sick and gave sight to the blind and set the captives free. Who chose sacrificial love to the point of death. Who showed an alternate way to live and be in this world.This Lenten season I want to set aside time and prayer and energy to be more like Jesus. Isn't that, after all, what Lent's about?Ann Voskamp writes, “Lent isn’t about forfeiting as much as it’s about formation."This Lent I want to be formed. I want to cultivate compassion in my heart and actions. To choose the way of sacrifice and rebellion against self-interest. To retreat into the presence of the Father when I become overwhelmed. To draw my strength not from the esteem of man, but from the One who has called me blessed. Who has called me to continue His works. Whose hearts breaks even more than mine for the injustice and poverty and horror in this world. Whose heart breaks for every tear that falls.This Lenten season I have decided to give something up. In years past I've been vegan or given up desserts or diet Coke or gum for Lent. This year, I will be giving up tv--well Netflix to be exact. With my new volunteer job and ongoing freelance responsibilities, I don't have as much time to waste watching Netflix, but I still find myself turning to the comfort of tuning out to English language episodes whenever I'm bored, tired, lonely.For the next six weeks, when I find myself bored or tired or lonely, I will choose, instead, to spend that time either in prayer or in connecting with the people around me or praying for the people I love who are far from me. I will engage. I will not disconnect. I will sit still in the presence of the Lord and allow Him to speak. Allow Him to form me. I will turn to Love.***Are you giving up anything for Lent? What do you hope to gain? ***For more ideas on how to engage, reflect, and prepare for the Lenten season, check out Rachel Held Evans' 40 Ideas for Lent compiled with the input of her blog readers.
Reflections on Ash Wednesday
Today I share my thoughts on Ash Wednesday on Plant With Purpose's marvelous blog. Check it out here.
