There’s a scene in About a Boy where Hugh Grant’s character describes his life as made up of half-hour blocks—not so much time as to be intimidating, but long enough to do things. Once he adds up all of those blocks, his unemployed self says, “I often wonder, to be absolutely honest, if I’d ever have time for a job.”

Ash Wednesday is the most honest day of the year. Honesty is what kick-starts the cycle of grace. When the process is working well, it’s almost instantaneous.

As we mentioned last week, Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on February 13, the day after Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday!). All around the world, millions of Christians will participate in a church service or liturgy that somberly underscores our mortality as creatures and our sinfulness as human beings. 

The month of February is set aside to reflect on the many Black leaders who have shaped United States history, and who are often unjustly skimmed over in our classrooms.

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