I found this
collection of daily reading for Lent particularly engaging, grounded
in real life and pushing at the boundaries of the safe and tidy
Christian community. The focus is on prayer, the ways we pray, our
motivations, and our expectations.
At one point he
writes “I really do not understand the mechanics of what happens
when we pray for others. The questions make for interesting
theological discussions, but do not yield clear answers, at least not
for me. However, the truth remains that it is good to pray for others
and it is good when others pray for us.” This honesty, an
invitation to share in exploration alongside him, not receive
explanations from him.
One of the points
that stuck most with me is the exploration of the story of the Widow
that nags the unjust Judge into finally giving her justice if only to
shut her our. We mostly read this as a story about how we should
continue to ask God until he answers our prayer – but this would
raise doubts about God, God is surely unlike the unjust Judge – and
so Henry Martin switches it around, maybe Jesus is the Widow and we
are the unjust Judge, Jesus continue, endlessly to seek relationship
with us, will keep on inviting us to come to him.
This is the kind of
refreshing approaches that are offered throughout the book – too
many Lent books cover the same old ground, but this one got me
thinking in new ways.
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