FROM THE PULPIT: ARE YOU LIVING A HARD OR SOFT LIFE?

There is a woman who spends her life in the back bedroom of the home caring for her mother who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Her life is a constant routine of changing linens, giving baths, praying with and for her mother, and providing care to one who cannot fully respond.

How do we value such a life that is spent in constant routine of changing linens, giving baths, praying with and for her mother and providing care to one who cannot fully respond? People of differing faiths and backgrounds would have a wide range of responses.

Our Bible, particularly Hebrews, would say that a life of sacrificial caring possesses something spiritual, that is not visible to the eye, a participation in the life of Christ, a sharing through suffering in the victory of Christ over despair and death.

Our Bible reflects life as it really is and our faith is a glorious entanglement with the world. It's true. Our image as a people who deal with the hard realities of life as it is, is problematic among the unchurched.

We are supposed to be personable, accepting, tender and mild and therefore unable to do much more than attend to the tame world of jelly donut sermons, quiet Bible study and the inconsequential pursuit Christian education for our children.

Though these things are a part of Christian life, it's a soft image that we have. The doormat image comes to mind. That's only an image however, and one that is undeserved.

As we enter into the season of Lent, we begin a long and arduous journey that started in Galilee and ended in Jerusalem with all of its expectation, heartache, and challenge.

During this season of Lent, read Luke 23:1-49 and come to know the Jesus that died for us on a little hill called Calvary. The story of the trial of Jesus before Pilate, the crowd's decision against him, his journey to Calvary, and his suffering on the cross are stories not of a man who was 'soft' but of a man with the courage of any modern day hero. More!

His life was willingly given for us and in obedience to God. This act, called the atonement, 'atoned' or cleansed if you will, our sin. His life was the dividing point inaugurating a new life in God.

On the other side of Jesus life was the life of Adam, a life that was uplifted by God that we may live on earth but it was a life that fell. On this side of Jesus life, He came to earth, fell on the cross and uplifted us so that we may live in God. That was His journey then.

But It is our journey today. It is a journey taken for Christians who do more than dabble in their faith and my friends, that journey is not 'soft.' For Jesus, it was his final trip and it ended on the cross.

For us, it is the taking up of the Cross and following Jesus who led us to Calvary which may mean taking care of a mother with Alzheimers, loving someone who is unlovable, visiting someone in prison, working with the poor and the outcast and yes, giving of our tithes, gifts and offerings.

There are many examples even today of Christians who are forsaking their lives in mission to others and in some unfortunate instances, are dying for what they believe. Perhaps you and I have grown soft because we live in the safe environment of middle America and take our faith for granted.

If anything makes us soft, it is our lax attitude towards our faith. However, even in this good country, we are faced with challenges that chip away at our freedoms to be who we are.

Even in the face of such challenges in our 'safe' environment, we see teens who rally around the flag pole in prayer; we see volunteer prayer groups of our kids in our schools, the same type of group in which some kids in Kentucky were slain while meeting in prayer.

Our kids are leading the way in taking up the cross. We are not a 'soft' people. We Christians deal with the hard realities of life's expectations, heartaches and challenges as we take our own journey to the cross.

But we do not take it alone because Jesus walks that long and narrow and sometimes rough road with us.

Though we are not soft, we are not hard or hard bitten either. We do all that we can for the Christ that taught us that love is the most important fact of our life and it is in this vain that we enter the season of Lent.

We begin our journey to the cross as tough as the nails that pinned Jesus to the cross but with a heart that will open to anyone with love and caring. We do so willingly.

Indeed, a life without God is the 'soft' life.

No, our Bible reflects life as it really is. No matter where you are in life, you too can relate to its realities and possibilities of 2000 years ago because it is also a story about us and our realities and our possibilities today, much like the woman and her mother.. Jesus made our lives in God possible.

Make God through Jesus Christ a part of your life today and your tomorrows will not always be easy but they will be filled with the joy of someone who has finally found their way after being lost.

Amen.