Inward-Outward Journey
Craig L. Nessan
The Lenten journey takes us back to the basics. Lent involves an inward journey: self-examination before God, sorrow for failings, repentance, turning around, reorientation. And Lent involves an outward journey: reconciliation with neighbors, asking forgiveness, doing penance, almsgiving, reparations. This is costly discipleship: dying to sins and being raised to new life in Christ. This is baptismal existence. Death and resurrection every day.
The Lenten journey takes us back to the Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40). An inward journey: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.” An outward journey: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Both belong to the rhythm of the Christian life. The first table of the Law on loving God (Commandments 1-3) leads to the second table on loving neighbors (Commandments 4-10). We are to fear and love God that neighbors are protected and served. One leads to the other and back again.
The Lenten journey takes us back to the prophets. Micah intensifies our attention to the inseparability of these two movements, inward and outward. Micah lays bare the hollowness of honoring God without honoring neighbors. Extravagant worship of God summons forth extravagant service to others: doing justice, loving kindness, walking humbly with God.
As we navigate the Lenten journey in these strenuous times, we hear loud Christian voices extolling moral purity at the expense of caring for neighbors in need of mercy. The Lenten journey is inward and outward. Listen to the Ten Commandments, the Great Commandment, and the prophets! “I appeal to you therefore, siblings, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship” (Romans 12:1).
