We have been sad observers of the offensive military moves on our world stage, leaving destruction and death in its path for no reason it appears than ego. Refugees flood neighbouring countries, bodies lie in the streets, buildings and vehicles demolished – and to what end we ask one another?

I’m testing fate this morning by changing our snow tires to our friendly, warm season tires. It’s likely in our neck of the woods that a major storm will land and I’ll look premature in my optimism. But risks are part of life.

Silver dollars were a childhood treasure. I collected them when I could and one of my collection points was memorizing Bible verses and reciting to win a silver dollar. As much as my tribe looked down on churches that raised money with bake sales and other event, we were shameless cash rewarders for Bible activity – even bigger bucks were available for winning a sword drill. (If you don’t know what that is, ask your grandma.)

It’s now day 19 of Lent (16 if you take out Sundays) and Jesus was isolated with only his own thoughts as he contemplated the work he had ahead of him. “There might be an easier way to create a kingdom than through humility and death” was flashed across his consciousness by that same force that takes us to unhealthy places.

Lent is an artificial construct that has grown over time and is sometimes even a useful spiritual exercise drawing us closer to our God in skin and bone in a lonely desert. I laugh when I hear we get Sundays “off” from whatever physical, mental, spiritual, or good works commitments we have made for the 40 days Jesus was in the desert. He didn’t get days “off”. Lent runs from March 2nd to April 16th, so math only works with days ‘off”.