If you own a vehicle, chances are you’ve seen the dreaded check engine light flash on your dashboard. If you are like me, you get anxious when the light unexpectedly comes on as you start your car. That’s because you know that your vehicle needs to go to the garage for maintenance. And you are a busy person, and finding the time to check the vehicle’s engine can be an inconvenience to your schedule.
I remember a funny episode of the cartoon ‘The Simpsons’ where Homer ignores his car’s flashing check engine light by taping over it, only for the engine to fail spectacularly moments later.
Our spiritual lives are like a vehicle’s check engine indicator. Just as a car’s dashboard lights up when something is not working correctly, our spiritual lives may also have warning signs or signals when something is not right. These warning signs can be feelings of spiritual emptiness, or a sense of disconnection from God and others. Lent is a good time for us to check our spiritual engines.
Spiritual renewal means deepening our relationship with God and strengthening our commitment to following Christ. This can be done through regular practices such as prayer, meditation, worship, Bible study, and service to others. Spiritual renewal is particularly emphasized during the season of Lent, which is an intentional time of preparation for Easter. This might mean attending Lenten worship, participating in our online Lenten reflections, or volunteering at local food banks or outreach projects. It is about taking on something extra in your spiritual practice to help focus and strengthen your discipleship.
Lent helps us refocus on the ‘why’ of all we do and are as Christians. Before we can do anything in the Church, the first step is to look at ourselves and ask: How is my relationship with God? In other words, ‘Do I love Jesus, and how do I show Jesus’ love in my own life?’ These are personal questions, but ones that are so important.
We are all called to have a personal faith in Jesus Christ, but while our faith is deeply personal, we are called to share it outwardly. As Christians, we can embrace our personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ and renew our baptismal faith regularly. When we do so—when we become active participants with God—we see our churches and communities transformed into inclusive, supportive, and non-judgmental centres of God’s love and grace. As Anglicans, we are called to follow the example of Christ and to seek to live out his teachings in our daily lives (see, for example, Matthew 25:35-40 on caring for those in need). This means being faithful to God and one another, and showing love and compassion to those in need. It also means being willing to confront the sin and injustice in our lives and the world around us. This is about deepening our relationships with others within the Church and those on the margins.
When that pesky check engine light comes on in our vehicle, we know we will eventually have to take it to the garage to get it fixed. Our spiritual check engine light is no different. We can do this spiritual check-up during this Lenten season by looking at what we are called to be and to do as baptized Christians. If a core value is deepening our relationship with God and one another, then this needs to be at the very centre of the life and ministry of every Christian.
So, if your spiritual check engine light is flashing, I invite you to use this Lent as a tune-up for your faith. Let us look honestly at our spiritual lives, and we may go deeper with God and one another.
Lenten blessings,
Bishop Sam Rose
