“Well, I’m glad you aren’t God!” I heard my colleague say to the representative of the protest organized by a group called Action4Canada.  The Christian (and political) representation in this group  is right winged and confident that they are speaking the truth as God planned it! I was among those who stood in solidarity with Pictou County Pride. It is fair to say that the seven ministers who stood together have a different take on God’s inclusive message of love, one expressed through the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

My heart was strangely warmed this week, maybe more than once, but let me share this one time. At Trinity, we lost a wonderful, long-time parishioner. Ron McNutt had literally just had his 91st birthday when he was found dead. It appears he died as he lived, loved and contented.

“What don’t you get?” Jesus asks. The same kind of question is asked to Nicodemus, who comes under the cover of night, to the woman at the well, who in the middle of the day understands clearly, and to the man born blind, whose vision of Jesus is unimpaired. John, the gospel writer cleverly has each of these stories leaving us with a question that enables the teaching of Jesus to be clarified.

As difficult as it is to believe, we have just begun the journey through lent, representing the 40 days and nights that Jesus spend in the wilderness. During that time, he is tempted, and tested, and emerges ready to begin his ministry. His is a ministry that calls for teaching and healing, expanding his love for all and raising difficult questions for those who follow him to think about and act on. For us, lent is also a time for some of those things.