So what did you give up? For Lent, I mean? I didn’t give anything up this year, but in the past I’ve given up sweets, internet games, alcohol. One year, I read nothing but the Bible during my leisure reading time, and got through the entire New Testament and the Pentateuch, plus a few more Old Testament books.
More Lenten thoughts in my weekly post over at FoxPolitics.net. A small sampling:
The number 40 re-occurs with some frequency in the Bible. Not only Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness, but Moses’ 40 days on Mount Sinai; Israel’s 40 years in the desert; the 40 days and nights of the great flood; Elijah’s 40-day trek to Mt. Horeb; Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness.
Important events, all, but none ending quite with the same bang as Lent. Jesus’ return! Hallelujah!
In the space of a moment: the tomb found open; the angels speaking to Mary; Jesus appearing to His followers and eating a piece of fish. The balloon breaks; the dam bursts, and bam! Jesus pours through!
That number, 40, always ends well. Moses came down with the Ten Commandments; the Israelites arrived in their promised home; Noah and his family found land; Jesus returned from exile victorious over Satan’s temptations…God likes to make good things happen after that forty gets done.
Here’s an important question, though: what happens next?