As I write this, we have just experienced the biggest snowfall of the year along with an ice storm. But with the coming of March, I am imagining the warmth of the sun and seeing green ground (I can imagine, right!). This also is the time of year for many spiritual celebrations like Ostara, the spring equinox in the Pagan tradition; the Fast of Esther, commemorating the three-day fast observed by the Jewish people in the story of Purim; Holi, a spring festival also known as the festival of colors or the festival of sharing love in the Hindu tradition; and in the Christian tradition, Easter.
Our UU values and principles are rooted in Christian theology along with other sources. Right now in preparation for Easter, many in the Christian faith are also observing Lent, a time from Ash Wednesday till Easter when personal sacrifice is made as a way of getting closer to God, and as a reminder of the sacrifices that Jesus and his followers made. Growing up in a Catholic household, I used to observe Lent. Seeking a more UU practice, I came across #UULent. As stated by one of its founders, Barb Greve, interim director of Lifespan Religious Education for First Unitarian Society in Newton, MA, “rather than a practice of self-denial, we offer this opportunity to spend the Season of Lent engaged in a spiritual discipline of deep intention and appreciation of our world, our place in it, and an openness to Grace in our daily lives.”
This practice offers an opportunity to focus on a word of the day and share a picture, on your favorite social media platform, you have taken that represents that word for you. On Sundays throughout Lent, we are encouraged to not only reflect on that word but enact it in our lives. Please visit the link to learn more and see the calendar above or at the link for the word for the day. May this season of embracing the coming of spring provide you opportunities to deepen your spiritual practices.