Padre's Corner - Lent is springtime

The weather will begin to change, and as the snow melts all those projects and issues that we didn’t quite get to before winter began will come to light again. Springtime sun will illuminate home improvement projects, or provide new ways to see dust bunnies in the house.

Cleaning and getting your house back in order become the norm in springtime. Nooks and crannies that were overlooked in the dim light of winter are revealed as being shamefully dirty. Along with the inside cleaning comes the outside, with bags of leaves and branches, cleaning out the eavestrough, and all the other little tasks that need to be done after a long winter.

Lent calls you to ponder what sort of ‘spring cleaning’ you can enact in our own life. That is often a much harder task.

Many religious traditions and meditative practices place much emphasis on the process of self-reflection, simply meaning to look inwards at yourself, and seek out areas that may be dirty or need some airing out. These may be considered your ‘sins’ – things that distract us, or separate us from others, or separate you from God. In other traditions, those things could be your desires – things you want but can’t have, causing suffering in your life and, by extension, in the lives of others.

It’s good to take long, hard look at your own inner self, and see what you can leave behind.

Are you still angry at someone from a long time ago? Maybe forgiveness is in order.

Feeling guilty because you’ve been avoiding a person? Perhaps it’s time to sit down with them.

Feeling unfulfilled or unappreciated at work? Clean out your perceptions and misconceptions, and honestly assess yourself and your work. You may be surprised to see what sort of positive things develop.

Can it be painful? Well, yes – just like the physical labour of spring-cleaning can leave you with a sore back and aching muscles, this sort of mental and spiritual effort can also leave you with a sad or hurting heart. However, it’s likely better to clean out those nooks and crannies now, than let them pile into a burden that is too heavy for you alone to bear.

The good news is just like you can call a friend over to help you clean your house, there are people you can call when you need some help with that spiritual spring cleaning, too.

Your unit or base chaplain is available when you need someone to talk to – and is available for your family members, as well. You may find a padre at the chapel who’s willing to take a few extra moments to connect with you. Social workers, counsellors and other helping professionals can work to help people develop mental and spiritual resilience in their day-to-day lives, and can assist you with that cleaning-out process.

May your springtime this year revitalize your home, your family, and your self.