We are living in a time of deep uncertainty. While it seems like we were just getting back into a nice flow as a world on the other side of the pandemic, the tensions between Canada and the United States are reaching an all-time high as a tariff war began earlier this week. Our media feeds have now filled with concerns and speculation of how things will unfold. People wonder about the future of the economy, the rising inflation, and the sovereignty of our nation as this David and Goliath battle begins to unfold. Already, we are hearing people’s inner fears, their concerns, their stress over the situation. Mental health profession worry over rises in situational depression. Economists worry about rising inflation and falling markets. And people of faith view this as a time to draw deeply on the faith we have in God.
This is a time of uncertainty; it is a time of wilderness wandering; it is a time of temptation, of testing, of uncertainty…this is the season of lent. Part of the church’s ministry (which I share with Terry and others at Northwood) involves visiting people in hospital. When a person’s health is threatened their faith can become an anchor; a touchstone; a centre which allows them face the challenges ahead. I ask them about ‘how they are coping through this time?’ And they inevitably speak about their faith that allows them to get through the valley of the shadow that they navigate. While there are many; however, one of the enduring values of faith is that it is ‘there’ for us when we walk through the difficult times in life. The mature faith that we nurture through life is there when we face the deeply challenging times in life.
There is, also, something else that occurs in a hospital room. In the era of overcrowding in hospitals, I am usually visiting in a room with multiple patients. And as we know, those fabric privacy curtains make very little private. Pastoral conversations about faith, even when whispered, are usually overhead by a neighbour. And, quite often, as I am preparing to leave one of those neighbours waves at me and asks for me to sit with them before I leave. The conversations with the stranger in the hospital room can be quite varied. However, quite often, they centre on that person’s desire for faith. This stranger is afraid, they are uncertain, and they want to have the depth of faith to get them through. As U.S. Army chaplain Lieutenant Colonel William J. Clear noted in his1942 sermon “there are no atheists in foxholes”. And when fear, uncertainty, and the wars around us grow we realize that the faith we have nurtured is essential for our living.
I think this is why Lent is such a significant time for us each year. And why it is especially important THIS year. We live in a time of uncertainty. The world around us is rapidly shifting—economically, politically, socially, and even personally. It is easy to be overcome by anxiety and fear when we feel like we have no control over our circumstances. Yet, as we enter the season of Lent, we are reminded of the call to re-center our lives on God, to return to God in faith, as we surrender our worries and struggles into God’s hands of grace and peace.
Pat read the temptation story of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of Luke. There we see Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where He was tempted for forty days and where he surrendered to God. He was tempted with food, with power, and with security. Yet Jesus remained steadfast in His faith. He did not seek to control His situation through His own power but instead he placed His trust entirely in God...he surrendered to God. These 40 days in Jesus' life served as a powerful example of what it means to surrender. As we move into the season of Lent, we too are challenged to centre our lives upon God. Instead of grasping at temporary solutions or quick fixes, Jesus relied on God, resisting temptation and holding fast to His faith. Among the things that are being ‘given up for Lent’, are we able to give up (even just a little) our reliance upon the ways of the world and the temporary fixes they. Can we rely more fully on God’s grace and God’s provision through the struggles of today? Can we surrender to God and know all will be well in God’s grace and provision?
In second reading, we hear from the final book of the Torah: Deuteronomy. In the 26th chapter we find yet another example of faithful surrender: first fruits living. The Israelites, after years of wandering in the wilderness, were called to bring the first fruits of the land as an offering to God. This act was not only one of thanksgiving but also an expression of trust. By offering the first portion of the harvest, they demonstrated faith that God would continue to provide. They did not wait until they had abundance; they gave first and trusted that God would sustain. The first growth was surrendered to the temple and given over to the poor and hungry.
To be clear, this is a challenging call! Giving it over control; giving over trust; giving it all to God…surrender is a challenging call. And lent is that challenging time where we nurture the seeds of faith and grow more fully as spiritual beings. Jesus placed His trust in God in the wilderness; the Israelites offered their first fruits from the ground…and we too are called to center our lives with a deep trust in God's provision.
To be clear, surrendering does not mean giving up; it means letting go of our need for control reminding ourselves that God is…and always has been in control. It is the assurance we receive in allowing God to do what God does best…to lead us. It means trusting that God is present with us in the wilderness of our struggles and uncertainties. Amidst temptation, testing and hunger, it is about deepening our faith that God will provide through it all.
Lent is a season of returning—returning to God in prayer, fasting, and acts of generosity. It is a time to loosen our grip on fear and control as we surrender to God's greater plan. When we bring our first fruits—whether it be our time, our resources, or our hearts—we acknowledge that all we have comes from Him. We trust that God’s provision will be enough.
It was never substantiated, however, many of us wondered if the February through March timing of Tim Horton’s ‘roll up the rim’ campaign was created to counter many people’s Lenten practice of giving up coffee through Lent. At a minimum, the timing of the campaign through Lent was always suspect. I wonder, whether we like it or not, if the current political uncertainties we face will be our wilderness time of temptation and testing. Can we surrender: relying upon God; deepening our faith in God’s provision; leaning on God through these times? Can we rely upon God through temptation, through our testing and through our hungers and uncertainties.
Faith in uncertain times is not about having all the answers; it is about trusting in the One who does. Jesus shows us that even in the wilderness, God is present. The Israelites teach us that true faith means giving to God first and trusting in God’s continued provision. As we journey through this season of Lent, may we surrender our worries to God; center our faith on God, and trust in God’s guiding and unfailing love.
Amen.