Prof. Wesley Wildman Op-Ed Article Published in The Christian Post
This original op-ed article commentary by Professor Wesley Wildman was published by The Christian Post on March 29, 2021. The following is an excerpt only. Please click here to read the original article.
Now’s a good time to exercise your compassion muscles
By Wesley J. Wildman
In the Christian calendar, it’s Lent. I grew up in a Methodist tradition that never mentioned Lent. I don’t know why. Nobody talked about Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. Nobody mentioned the party Tuesday right before. Nobody was counting forty days, skipping the Sundays, to get to Easter. Nobody was giving up chocolate or refusing to eat meat on Lenten Fridays. We dwelt in a Lent-free zone.
I learned about Lent in seminary. As an associate pastor in a non-denominational church in Northern California, I watched my mentor Rev. Samuel Johnson Lindamood, Jr. try to teach his flock about Lent. He even tried to inspire them with a collection of readings and meditations, which was hands down the most unusual Lenten meditation book you’ll ever see. Some of his parishioners embraced Lenten practices but not me.