Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday were the same day this year

Preparation

The sun goes down on the end of a weekend, and it is relatively calm here. Loviefluffy is sleeping. My necklace from Hostage Square is in its sacred place, and I hold it while I pray morning and night. I meditate carefully, ready to be ready. You never know what God will call you to. Chances are, it’s not what you expect.

In a funny confluence of events that is apparently not that unusual, Valentine’s Day and Lent came on the same day this year. I did not really celebrate either. I went to Zen in the evening, an observance which seems equally inappropriate for both.

Lent is a time of deep prayer and meditation as we prepare for Holy Week. It’s not about giving up chocolate. It’s a time to remove distractions and focus in preparation to do what needs to be done.

In discovering that I love to learn about Jewish time, I am also remembering how much I love Christian time: real Christian time, not the commercialized version or the wacko right wing version. Or even the wacko left wing version. The real Christian calendar with its holidays and seasons comes out of the Jewish calendar, of course, with a whole lot of appropriated pagan holidays thrown in and various events from the Gospels that most Christians probably couldn’t describe. The Last Supper happened during Passover. Did Jesus put mayo on matzoh? No, I don’t think even American Jews do that, I think that’s just me, but please tell me I’m not alone.

I’ve been working on minimizing distractions and focusing hard on what needs to be done: spiritually, work-wise, health, family, friendships. That’s a lot, but there are many things that need to be done. A quiet time of reflection every day is essential for me, in addition to my morning meditation. Quiet time to step back from the running to-do list and the endless conversations both spoken and in my head.

I wrote last year about not giving up for Lent. Not giving up. Not giving up on a better world, not giving up on my place in bringing that about, not giving up at all.

I’m not one for giving up. I’m very good at cutting my losses - never was one to fall for the sunk cost fallacy. But giving up is another matter entirely.

In Torah study we are on Exodus, which is in some ways a long story of the pull between giving up and not giving up. I am so grateful to be a part of a Torah study group and to be warmly welcomed even though I’m not really Jewish. It’s funny how a group of people who do not seek converts are very happy to have a “friend” around.

And I love you new family. :)

Whatever holidays we do or do not celebrate, however we celebrate them, we have each other. And that is worth… everything. That is worth refusing to give up.

Consider the lilies of the field. They never give up. They peak out from the stones, like it or not.

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