Glasgow Uni has undertaken a huge project to remember, on their anniversary of death, all alumni killed in World War I, and to place a poppy cross in the University memorial garden.

Today it was one Thomas Hathaway, a Lancastrian-born man who never studied there but was part of the OTC.  He was just 20 years old when he was killed.

This morning I was doing Uni Chapel prayers and landed up with Jeremiah 2: 1 - 13 to reflect upon.  As I commented, I always seem to get thorny passages!

One thread in this reading was of following God into the wilderness... hints of the Exodus story, maybe hints (retrospectiviely) of Christ's temptations.  The wilderness - an unknown, possibly barren, potentially hostile place.  A place of risk.  A place of repentance.  A place of reflection.  (I got a bit carried away with my "r" words).

Lent is, metaphorically anyway, an opportunity to choose to enter a wilderness period, a place and space entrered precisely for its lack of familiarty and comfort, a place to reflect, a space to review, reconsider and re-evaluate.  A place to meet ourselves and make peace with ourselves.  A place to prepare for the challenges of the Easter season.

I think there is a risk for Christians of sanctifying struggle and suffering by comparing it to the "wilderness" that I am quite wary of in writing this post.  The lenten 'wilderness' is different because it is voluntarily entered... it is a chosen place and space for a defined duration and purpose.  It is a conscious decision to walk into an unknown and uncharted place, but with a clearly defined point on the horizon towards which we walk... So long as keep our eyes looking forward, we can't get lost; so long as we keep plodding onwards, we will arrive.

Perhaps, after all, what we do is wander along the brink of the wilderness...?

Shrove Tuesday... that day when tradition dictates that we gorge ourselves on all the fatty, yummy, bad-for-us things in the cupboard before we become abstemious until Easter. 

From 1978 to 2010 I dutifully kept a "lenten fast", first giving up sugar in drinks (to which I never returned) then sweets and chocolates, cakes and puddings, coffee, tea and indeed lots of other things.  Mostly it was an act of discipline but I also set aside such money as I would have spent on treats to donate to a charitable appeal - I wasn't "just" giving up, I was also giving out.

In 2011, Lent caught me unawares and, recently released from the dietary and lifestyle restrictions of cancer treatment I didn't give anything up.  Instead, I began a practice of using the Christian Aid "Count Your Blessings" scheme to collect (quite large sums of) money for the charity in gratitude for things taken for granted in this country.

This year I'm having another change.  The 40 Acts campaign is about generosity, with assorted challenges to be attempted each day.  It's new for me (it's actually been around quite a long time) and I am looking forward to the challenge it offers.  Watch this space to see how I get on!