THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
27th February 2026
Greetings.
It is customary to speak of Lent as a journey and as if to reinforce this idea we encounter in our readings this Sunday two people setting out on life-changing journeys.
Abram (Genesis 12.1-4) left his father's country to go to the land and to a future that was God's promise to him. It was a brave venture even for a nomad and one in which Abram felt, at times, perplexed and alone. But God never abandoned him and in critical moments, faith and trust were renewed.
Nicodemus (John 3.1-17) came to Jesus by night, a detail not simply of the hour of day, but of the state of his mind. Nicodemus was a senior figure of the ruling party which was implacably opposed to Jesus. Yet, somehow Nicodemus was drawn to Jesus for reasons which he didn't understand. There is nothing to suggest that the penny dropped immediately following his encounter with Jesus but, at the end of the gospel, Nicodemus comes with spices to anoint Jesus' body and is described as he who had at first come to him by night. His journey of faith had clearly continued.
Abram and Nicodemus were separated by time and culture yet it was the same God who called them on in their respective journeys of life and faith. Their worlds were very different from ours but again it is the same God who calls us. Lent is a season to renew our attentiveness to that call, to review our journey thus far and to ask where now? The answer will probably not be given in a simple and obvious way, yet God does have a purpose for each of us . If it is hidden it will be revealed but not as we expect. In the meantime we journey on, persevering in faith and trust.
Blessings,
Charles Booth
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