Waitrose, a grocery near where my daughter lives in London, is a haven for
culinary adventures and chance encounters. One day, while perusing the
shelves, I overheard a young father ask his daughter if she wanted pancakes,
then watched in amazement as he reached for a sealed, flat package with what
looked like ready-to-eat French Crepes.
After they moved on I checked it out, and sure enough, “Pancakes” was written
right across the front of the package. Goodness gracious! That poor child. She
may never know the joy of devouring a pile of flap-jacks swimming in a sea of
maple syrup with blueberries. However, these store-bought “pancakes” were
quite good when folded into triangles sprinkled with sugar and served with a
wedge of lemon.
Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday when Christians around the world will begin 40
days of fasting and prayer leading up to Easter. So tonight, on Shrove Tuesday,
the night before a traditional fast from sweets begins, we’ll eat pancakes. Big,
fat, fluffy pancakes with lots of butter swimming in pools of maple syrup.
Why do we do it? Because we forget.
The days of fasting and prayer, known as the season of Lent, are a yearly
reminder of the events leading up to the day Jesus was crucified, died was
buried, and three days later rose from the grave. It reminds us of an
embroidered pillow I recently saw that read: Silly Rabbit. It’s about Jesus.
This year, as I embark on my Lenten journey, I’ve chosen to fast from bread
and the endless scroll of Instagram reels. What about you? Will you bid adieu
to your daily Starbucks fix, television binges, or fast food cravings? Or
perhaps, you’ll embrace a new endeavor, like delving into the gospel accounts
of the resurrection.
Let’s share our Lenten commitments, weaving a tapestry of encouragement,
faith, and reflection.
