Here at the start of another weekend, we look to the 4th Sunday in Lent. In some Christian circles, the 4th Sunday in Lent is known as Laetare Sunday. Laetare is Latin for the word “rejoice.” Falling about halfway through the Lenten season, this Sunday is a turning point as we move deeper into the remaining gifts of this season, including Holy Week and the anticipation of Easter Sunday. The invitation to Laetare is to take a moment and pause, even finding ways to rejoice in the middle of Lent’s otherwise sorrowful and penitential season.
This embrace of the “both/and” of life is nothing new. Here at UUMC, we often talk about how two things can be true at the same time. Within the span of a week, we can feel immense joy and deep sadness. Within a single day, we might feel both hope and despair. We might look at the news and only see evil. We might turn to our community and loved ones and be filled with the goodness of humanity.
Most everywhere I look, people are talking about holding the “both/and” of life. Holding onto hope. Holding onto joy. Holding onto one another. Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz Weber writes at “The Corners,” and she began her Lenten season writing these words:
