9 Feb – Lent: a spiritual springtime
The word Lent finds its roots in the Old English word lencten, meaning “spring.” It describes that quiet, persistent season when the days begin to lengthen and the earth slowly wakes from its winter sleep.
We began this journey with a stark reminder: “Remember that you are dust.” While these words can feel bleak, they contain an invitation to wonder. We are intimately connected with the earth and everything on it – we are all members of one human family sharing one common home, all beloved creations of God. As we acknowledge our interconnectedness and reliance on God, we create space for new growth.
In the field and garden, this is a vulnerable, expectant time. Seeds are sown in an act of quiet trust—that a tiny grain, buried in the cold, dark earth, carries within it the potential for new life. Our Lent springtime calls us to such faith: that the seeds of hope and love that we plant even in the hardest soil will take root and blossom.
Across the world our neighbours are also planting seeds. Yet climate change is making it harder for them to grow enough to eat. In parts of Zimbabwe there is too little rain. In parts of Bangladesh and South Sudan, there is too much. The result is the same – seeds fail to grow, plants die, and families go hungry.
Our fasting, giving and prayer in this season remind us of our dependence on God and our longing for a world in which all people flourish. This Lent, as the light lengthens, may we stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers throughout the world, knowing that God can work through us to bring new life.
Find out more about CAFOD’s Lent appeal is helping our global neighbours grow food in climate-resilient gardens: https://cafod.org.uk/lent
Dr. Beverley Prevatt Goldstein is a distinguished academic, community activist, and pioneering advocate for racial equality in the North East of England. Born in Trinidad, she made history in 1968 as one of the first Black women to enrol at Oxford University from a mainstream British school before pursuing a prolific career in social work and education. She is the former chair of the North East of England African Community Association (NEEACA) and her lifelong commitment to anti-racism was honoured with an honorary doctorate from Northumbria University.
Richard Reddie is a prominent British author, researcher, and broadcaster specializing in racial justice and the intersection of faith and culture. He serves as the Director of Justice and Inclusion at Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI), where he oversees initiatives related to racial justice, migration, and refugees. He is a frequent commentator on the legacy of the Windrush generation and the murder of Stephen Lawrence, often advocating for the Church to act as a “prophetic voice” in the public square.