For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:8-14
“Forgiveness of sins is what the gospel is all about. Forgiveness of sins is what Christ’s death upon the cross is all about. The purpose of Lent is to arouse. To arouse the sense of sin. To arouse a sense of guilt for sin. To arouse the humble contrition for the guilt of sin that makes forgiveness possible. To arouse the sense of gratitude for the forgiveness of sins. To arouse or to motivate the works of love and the work for justice that one does out of gratitude for the forgiveness of one’s sins.”
Edna Hong in “A Look Inside” in Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter (Walden: Plough, 2003) 24.
Christ accomplished something for us on the cross we could not sort ourselves: forgiveness of sins. We have been rescued and redeemed from darkness and brought into the light. As the Apostle Paul puts it, now “the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth” which is the generous way of life God designed for each of us.
As Hong puts it, this season of Lent has had the purpose of arousing us, motivating us, waking us up from “sleeping” to taking hold of life following God’s plan for us. Will our lives be characterized by works of love and justice filled with gratitude? Take five minutes today to ask God what needs to change for you after Easter. How will you rise?