An Indian Journey through Lent, Day 11
Finally, in Rev Thomas Weitzel’s list of 4 Lenten Disciplines, why does “works of love” “get a guernsey”? How can love be a discipline? Yet that is exactly what it is! We are SO tripped up by the negative connotation of that word “discipline”! Discipline is necessary for every worthwhile thing we do. When I think about it, each of the worthwhile things Lena and I have done in our lives - from raising children, to studying medicine and ecotheology as mature-aged students, to moving back to India - has required both love and discipline. Coping with the difficulties imposed by each of these challenges has involved discipline that we consider worthwhile, and even (on our better days!) have accepted with joy. My current favourite piece of music is a video of a Russian pianist, Olga Kern, playing Rachmaninov’s notoriously difficult 3rd Piano Concerto. I am stunned by her virtuosity and passion, and have no doubt that she considers the extraordinary amount of disciplined work she has done to acquire a technique capable of playing this work well worth while. And this “sporting tragic” won’t start on the passion, skill and discipline required to succeed at elite level sport, or he won’t stop!
Discipline, love and joy: these are where this Indian Journey through Lent is taking me.
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