Easter’s date is based on the first full moon either on or after the spring equinox. Lent season begins 46 days before Easter, which means this year Christians began their spiritual walk on March 2, 2022.

Lent is a time of personal work; a time to look at who we are, how we present ourselves to the world and what we do in the world to make a difference. It’s a time of personal renewal.

As Easter approaches, we are reminded that in the story of the resurrection, Jesus gave up everything on the cross. Everything and anything He may have collected in His life was gone. Only a crown of thorns and a loin cloth remained.

Knowing this, what can we give up or release?

Living a spiritual life, we view this time as a testament to growing our level of consciousness. It’s interesting how our time spent in spiritual practice matters. Think back on how your spiritual practice developed your present thoughts and actions. There are different levels of consciousness we move through as we learn to trust and believe in God’s word. The stories of Jesus teach us to raise our level of understanding.

Many people give something up during Lent. Try giving up and or releasing old patterns like greed, jealousy, judgment, unhealthy actions or emotions.

Once you let go you fill their space with something good. God is good! Why not fill that space with one of God’s traits? Got room for some good, helpful, kind, loving, peaceful, positive, and truthful ways?

Never mind that Lent has already started; it’s never too late to begin to witness the good within you. Remember it’s 46 days, 40 days which represent Jesus’ time of fasting in the desert and six Sundays.

In Keep a True Lent, Charles Fillmore, co-founder of Unity teachings, said; “In fasting, we as metaphysicians, abstain from error thinking and meditate on spiritual Truth until we incorporate it into the consciousness of oneness with the Father.” (It’s time spent working on improving ourselves.)

Further development of our conscious mind, as Unity teaches, requires us to look deep inside ourselves. Only we know what we are willing to change. Fasting in the desert gave Jesus time to go deep within, commune with God, hearing and seeing what was to come. Jesus knew His life would end and upon his return, he met that challenge.

My early teachings of Jesus’ resurrection were that of fear for the cruel brutality placed on Him. Yet, Jesus stayed strong in his faith even asking God to forgive those who were against Him.

Recently, another minister friend pointed out that as well-known as Lent is, it is not mentioned in the bible. A quick online search states it’s not biblical and believed to have started in the 4th Century.

Jesus’ birth and His resurrection are likely the most widely known stories in the bible. And, the bible is full of stories which show us how life was and still is today. They are stories of human instinct so the basic underlying theme of its stories we will see repeated in our lives. How we deal with the themes becomes our story and creates our lives.

In the past couple of weeks, I have noticed that the story of our times seem to be very similar to the story of the resurrection.

Watching the present war in Ukraine by Russia and the protests around the world shows us the theme in the stories is repeating itself. We can see where human instinct could use 40 days of fasting on error ideas in the desert.

Today, we must contemplate and ask ourselves, what we have learned from the previous story? and be that.

It’s time we go within to work and develop or change ourselves to obtain a higher level of consciousness. And, we can do that by checking in with ourselves. Be honest with yourself; go as deep as you can, without ego.

Once in that space, spend time thinking about God’s good qualities living within you. That’s right, you, as a child of God are inherently good! Now see all people having those same good qualities around the world.

For me, as a metaphysician, there are no coincidences. With a war and Lent happening at the same time, it tells me the work is ours to do. Each of us are being called into this theme not only to pray but also to take the Lenten journey within.

We cannot make others change their actions so we change ours. As we change, we change our vibration to a higher level. When enough people do their spiritual practice we reach the right level and race consciousness changes.

If you are open to living as many of God’s good qualities as you can, together, we can change our story.

Enjoy your journey,

Linda La Croix

Linda La Croix is Prayer Chaplain & Unity Director at Unity of Lake Orion.

Look for La Croix’s column, A Spiritual Walk, regularly in The Lake Orion Review, and follow her Facebook page, A Spiritual Walk, and website, aspiritualwalk.com, to find more positive thoughts.