The Pursuit of Wisdom

Those of you that have given up social media during lent may have missed the glorious kerfuffle following Bedford Borough  Council posting a happy Ramadan message on Feb 17th and a happy Lent message on 18th Feb.

YWhilst there were many heart warming responses to both,  wishing those keeping either fast God’s blessing,  peace,  joy and indeed happiness,  there were many criticising the posts.

Most notable was the now viral comment from Maggie Tyres.

The rapier sharp response from Bedford Borough Council rattled round the world via internet faster than Chat GPT can plan a year out itinerary.

Yet most common in the critical responses were many suggesting that ‘happy’ is an inappropriate tiding for those keeping fast. As though pursuing God through observing Lent or Ramadan should make one miserable?

Is because just as we seem to be losing Christ from Christmas,  we are also losing prayer from lent?

Isaiah 58 is as sharp about fasting as the Bedford Borough Council social media team’s reply to Maggie Tyre!

Read it here https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2058&version=NIV

The scripture denounces fasting used as leverage against God or as false piety alongside an otherwise selfish life. It goes on to talk about the kind of fasting God desires, the kind of fasting that fights injustice,  challenges oppression and feeds the hungry.

Of those that fast in keeping with God’s desires,  Isaiah writes: “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.”

Keeping fast for lent in such a way as to draw closer to God, is absolutely happy. Investing in the most important relationship we can have will bring joy. Being in that kind of intimacy with God that when you call you perceive God’s response – it is what we are made for.

I’m not saying that faith makes us immune to hardship or sadness.  I am saying that even when we are sad there is also joy to be found in God’s presence,  even if the shape of that joy is the discovery that God weeps with us and that Christ too is wounded.

I am saying that in my opinion ‘happy Lent’ is spot on.

Personally,  this year for lent, I am giving this blog ‘up’ to God.  With no sermons or parish magazine to write,  my word craft has been neglected. I’ve been encouraged to keep writing but find it hard without looming deadlines or a gathered congregation.  So regular God-ward writing here seems away to create a happy Lent. 

I did have a blog under the same name around 2012 but a technical glitch with the domain registration  and my scribbles were lost. Hopefully this time it will stick.

Maybe one day this happy Lent I’ll explain why I’ve called it the pursuit of wisdom, for now I’m going to add a few bits of old writing just to keep this post company.

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