Free-climbing the rugged Dawn Wall of Yosemite Park was thought impossible. Recently, the famous wall was climbed by two men 鈥� perhaps because of the impossibility. They did it together, with support of family and others. 聽
How do we enter into Lent? Why, and with whom? 聽
Some of us are likelier to be facing this question than the Dawn Wall, but maybe these amazing climbers can help.聽聽 聽
Why bother with Lent? It might be habit or obedience. Perhaps we鈥檙e tired of being asleep so much of the time or want to follow that glimpse of light or colour, that strain of sweet music 鈥� like the poet: 鈥淎ll night long I could not sleep, because of the moonlight on my bed.鈥� Lent asks us to wake up. Literally, we鈥檙e supposed to pray more, spend less time indulging or even feeding ourselves. Get emptier. 聽
To wait, as night falls and time grows late, for the bridegroom to arrive. Will we fall asleep again or will our lanterns fade out as we wait? Will he come? If not, we鈥檒l be the most forlorn, as well as the most foolish, of mortals. That鱿鱼视频app the risk we take.
Some of us, like the rock climbers, relish a challenge. It鱿鱼视频app high adventure.
Some need comfort, or company. We might take on Lent because, like the disciples, we want to go with Christ wherever He goes. Or because our fellow Christians are going. Or maybe we鈥檙e just stubborn enough to abandon the wide, crowded path and seek out the narrow one that few are taking.
We might prefer to go by ourselves, but there鱿鱼视频app really no way to do Lent alone. Even if nobody we know goes with us, the climb is already jam-packed with those who have gone before.
So once we do decide to go through Lent towards Easter, how do we get there?
Accounts of the two men鱿鱼视频app preparation and climb up the Dawn Wall show that training and discipline were part of their package. So was the taping of torn fingertips, bloody from clinging to tiny crevices, and waiting till they healed before starting again. And finding ways to provide for physical needs, like eating and sleeping.
Recently, chatting with one of my brothers, I asked what he finds hardest about life. Without pause, he replied:聽 鈥淪elf-discipline. Isn鈥檛 that always the hardest?鈥� I鈥檓 sure self-discipline was a major tool in the climbers鈥� tool-kit. Certainly it鱿鱼视频app one of the most-needed tools for Lent, and one of the most daunting.
More surprising, in the climbers鈥� story, was to find that their method included falling and starting over again, as needed, repeating each section until it was accomplished (as many as 11 times, on one pitch). Could falling be part of our Lenten game plan? If we fall, will we try the section again?
Patience, perseverance and fire. Complemented by humility.
In these days, with violence and brutality apparently eyeballing us wherever we turn 鈥� openly taunting us or insidiously beating us down, at the office or at home 鈥� does it really make any difference to stand at the foot of the long Lenten rock-cliff and start that climb? Wouldn鈥檛 we be better to get fighting and violent ourselves? It鱿鱼视频app tempting. So is the apathetic route, or the hiding-in-fear option. I鈥檝e tried them all and can鈥檛 say any of them are particularly successful. 聽
Instead, the gateway to the Lenten climb adorns us with ashes and takes us to the desert. We go by way of death, emptiness, temptation and sin. It鱿鱼视频app not surprising, because that鱿鱼视频app where we are. Deep within us, we know the anguish of our own souls. Like the songwriter: 鈥淪o many hearts I find ... torn by what we鈥檝e done and can鈥檛 undo.鈥澛� 聽
We know the rhythm of sorrow, suffering and sin. The purpose of Lent is not so much to acquaint us with these, though we go by way of them. Deeper within, we know another rhythm. It鱿鱼视频app harder to hear and remember, harder to set our feet to and cling to with our wounded fingertips. That鱿鱼视频app why Lent asks us to set other things aside and learn again, like the songwriter, 鈥渢hat there are sorrows to be healed, and mercy, mercy in this world.鈥�
As my flamenco teacher tells us, we have to have our 鈥渋nner comp谩s,鈥� our inner rhythm, beating all the time, if we want to be in the dance. On this climb, mercy is our 鈥渋nner comp谩s,鈥� the rhythm our hearts beat out. 聽
I don鈥檛 know if the free-climbers brought mercy along in their packs, but I know it鱿鱼视频app what the Lenten climb is made of. 鈥淎ll the paths of the Lord are mercy鈥� (Psalm 25). Let鱿鱼视频app get to know better its taste, its smell and sight, its sound and touch.
(Marrocco can be reached at marrocco7@sympatico.ca.)