Forty Days

I’m haphazardly following the photo-a-day #UULent2020 schedule, although I suck at following photo-a-day schedules. I’m all too likely to have one super busy day, get backed up, and give up on the whole enterprise because I can’t remember what day it is anymore.

I’m also - although I’m not Catholic - doing the Millennial thing (although I’m not one of those, either), and giving up Facebook for Lent. It’s the kind of bad habit that I see grow - I promise myself “Just 10 minutes” and keep resetting that timer. I’m less reflective, read less, and don’t always feel connected enough (to myself, to whatever is out there) to make it worth what I give up for it. So I’m trying something different. I’m walking away from the memes that make me laugh, from the groups I’ve been trying to find connection with, from the event notifications that remind me to get out of my house and do stuff.

Day 1: Prayer

Prayer is an weird thing. One might think that people who believe in something Holy pray to it, but it’s actually more the other way around - people who pray, believe. Speaking to something else - whether it’s the spark of divine within us or a personal God outside us - builds neural networks of faith.

A short little video from UUEugene, in which the amazing Rev-To-Be Sarah offers some guidance:

Day 2: Commitment

Woo, it’s a good thing I’m not sweating the photo a day. This would be a hard concept to illustrate. I suppose pictures of my wedding ring or my running shoes would be a easy-peasy gimme, but that’s not overthinking it enough to me.

This whole exercise is a commitment. By giving up Facebook, I’m committing myself to freeing my brain from one of the biggest algorhythms putting things in front of my eyes. I’m committing myself to reclaiming the time I spent scrolling. I’m committing myself to trying to live more off-line.

Day 3: Risk

“Oh that’s funny,” I said. “What’s Risk have to do with ConnectiOHHHHHH”

If spiritual practices are about our connection to ourselves, to each other, and to Spirit, and

Lent is a spiritual practice, then

It follows that these reflections ought to bring us closer to our own selves, or to someone else, or to the spirit that is within and around us.

And connection is risk. We risk being rejected with every connection. We risk loss with every connection.

Yuri Yamamoto’s reflection Angry Birds ends with a simple prayer: “Dear God, help me heal from my traumas so that I can fully express my potential to live and love. Amen.”

Day 4: Passion

It strikes me today the ways in which these words overlap with the various Words of the Year I’ve chosen for the past several years.

In place of Passion, the first year I did Core Desired Feelings as WOTY, I had “Devoted” - I yearn to be devoted to my locality and my profession. I love this place I live enough to know that we can Do Better.

I read at the end of the week that the number of single-person households in this city is 45%. That the percentage of households who are renting is 52%. That the amount of households under the poverty line - which is a terrible gauge in this area, where housing costs are painfully high - is 21%.

We can do better than this.

Day 4+1: Sanctuary

Sunday is Sanctuary, and Sunday isn’t actually counted in the 40 days (Hey, I learned something, too!).

Sunday I finally had time to approach this the way I wanted to, to reflect on the word.

Where or in what do I find sanctuary?
In what ways do I give sanctuary?