Ash Wednesday – 2014: Time for a 3D Spiritual Selfie: “Purging, Pondering & Paying it Forward”

Lent: 40 days to take a 3D spiritual selfie 

Why “3D?”

Because that’s who we are:   we’re not hermits living in isolation.
We live in the world with others and we are made in the image and likeness of God.

A good spiritual selfie can’t crop out the other people or God!!

How do we do it?

3 ways:

Purging –   kinda like fasting
Pondering – kinda like prayer
Paying it forward – kinda like charity

Purging/Fasting gets us to focus on our own needs and wants.  It enables us to realize what is necessary and what we have come to depend on – even if not so necessary.  It could be food, entertainment or – dare I mention it – even social media   When we refrain (or try to) from eating or doing other things, we get a clearer picture of ourselves.

Pondering/Praying focuses on God: thinking, talking, listening.  We must have or at least should have a few things we’d like to say to God.  Certainly God has some things he would like to say to us.  And there is quite a bit about God that I don’t understand that I should think about some more.

Paying it Forward/Acts of Charity puts us in touch with the needs of those around us. Maybe it’s a meal or cup of coffee,  a visit to the hospital, or a lonely relative; maybe it’s a ride home – out of our way to a colleague; maybe it’s a kind word to a stranger on the street.