Lenten Reflections: Avoidance

"Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

Matthew 26:70

"I don't know what you're talking about."

What do we avoid in life? Who do we avoid? What topics do we avoid in conversations, even with those closet to us? 

Sin creates fear, and fear perpetuates avoidance. We avoid what we're afraid of.

Our culture is filled with conversational avoidance.

"If I keep looking at my iphone, he might not say "hi" and just go away." 

"With these earbuds in, no one will talk to me."

"My laptop creates an impenetrable barrier between me and those around me!"

"I'll pretend that I'm talking on the phone.... Is she gone?" 

More than anything else, avoidance drives a wedge between relationships. We fear confrontation so we run like little children, afraid of anything that takes us out of our little comfort zone.

"La la la la la!  I can't hear you! La la la la!  I don't now what you're talking about!" 

Remember, confrontation means a rejection of avoidance as well. We have to be willing to receive.   

Lent is about confrontation. We confront the realities of our screwed up lives and embrace that we are just dust on this earth. But as we learn to confront the dust and the issues we sometimes avoid, we also learn that it's just as imperative to confront the dust of those we love. Confrontation is not judging. Confrontation is not self-righteousness. We don't throw the dust. We just reveal it to one another. Remember, we've already resolved the theme of this journey.

Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust.

We are dust.

You and me.

My dust is your dust.

As Lent continues, let's do away with avoiding the dust of our lives. Let's learn to confront one another, despite how uncomfortable it may be. No ones dust is unapproachable. No ones dust is taboo. Mine is yours and yours is mine. We are dust.

Lord, we know that there is no dust that offends You. As people of dust, help us to confront one another and stop avoiding that which makes us uncomfortable. Shield us from avoidance. Enable us to confront and receive confrontation. We embrace the dust; our own and the dust of others as well. Amen