Ash Wednesday February 26, 2020
I hope you never have the unfortunate opportunity to see me singing in my car. I do it. And I do it often.
Recently, I heard a song released in 2018 and immediately, it launched me into carpool karaoke. The song…Just Give Me A Reason…sung by P!nk and Nate Ruess (see link below).
Almost as immediately, my spiritual imagination focused on certain lyrics that made me think about the meaning of Lent. There are phrases and themes in this passionate song that I may return to, but the one upon which I will focus, as we begin our Lenten journey, is the final line of the refrain…
We’re not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again
Things aren’t always as they seem. For me and so many others I have encountered, it seems like things are broken. That life is broken. End of story…abuse, addiction, employment (un or under), fractured relationships, health, hurts, losses, neglect, pains, regrets (and the list goes on). They can make us feel broken and cut off. A permanent state of separation, a real alone-ness. But things aren’t always as they seem…or truly are. We are not broken, we are temporarily bent.
So what is the reason we make this Lenten journey…again and again and again?
Lent is a time to remember. Lent is a time to stretch from our temporary state of being bent by life’s challenges to the end of the story. Love beckons us to the end of the God’s Love Story for us. God is desperately in Love with us. We need to remember that. We need to embrace that gift, that grace once again.
Because we desperately need to be reminded of the truth that WE CAN LEARN TO LOVE AGAIN..and we can learn about the LOVE THAT KNOWS NO BOUNDS AND NO END.
1 John 4:9-11
In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.
Let our journey begin…
Just give me a reason Lyrics by Alba Reche and Marta Sango
Right from the start, you were a thief You stole my heart And I your willing victim I let you see the parts of me And with every touch you fixed them
Now, you’ve been talking in your sleep Oh oh, things you never say to me Oh oh, tell me that you’ve had enough Of our love, our love
Just give me a reason Just a little bit’s enough Just a second, we’re not broken Just bent And we can learn to love again
It’s in the stars It’s been written in the scars on our hearts We’re not broken just bent And we can learn to love again
I’m sorry I don’t understand where All of this is coming from I thought that we were fine (Oh, we had everything) Your head is running wild again My dear, we still have everything And it’s all in your mind
You’ve been having real bad dreams Oh oh, there’s nothing more than empty sheets Between our love, our love
Just give me a reason Just a little bit’s enough Just a second, we’re not broken Just bent And we can learn to love again
Oh, tear ducts and rust I’ll fix it for us We’re collecting dust But our love’s enough You’re holding it in You’re pouring a drink No, nothing is as bad as it seems
Just give me a reason (a reason you give) Just a little bit’s enough (it’ll be enough) Just a second, we’re not broken Just bent And we can learn to love again