Painting Rainbows with Broken Crayons

Lent comes at an appropriate time for church ministers … especially in a university parish such as STA.

For a moment, let us imagine ourselves as a fresh box of 64 crayons with sharpener included!

Similar to a fresh box of crayons, as students returned to Ames in late August, there was a sense of vitality, energy and vigor we welcomed. What were our hopes … dreams … goals those opening weeks of the fall semester?

By mid October, our crayon is not as fresh. We’re knee-deep into our projects and programs. Our once fresh crayon tip is broken or flat, the wrapping is gradually peeling off and everything becomes routine. Am I loosing my wrapping because I think I am stressed or is it a sign of vulnerability that God is stripping me of people, places or things I tend to cling to?

By December, our crayon is flat on both ends. We cannot wait for the semester to end and to renew our spirit by celebrating Christmas with loved ones.

It’s now mid January and spring semester is here. A new semester and a new year filled with goals … err .. RESOLUTIONS!!! I look at my box of crayons and discover many of my crayons are broken; yet, many are in perfect condition such as burnt sienna, jazzberry jam or fuzzy wuzzy brown. Am I too dependent on certain crayons than others? How do I underestimate the value of the unused crayons? Do I resist blending with them because they challenge me to “color outside the lines” or to become more flexible? Do I intentionally exclude these colors by their creative name? Or do I have a sense of arrogance that my favorite color is superior to the others in the box?

Now it’s late February. On Ash Wednesday, February 25, we begin our Lenten journey. Again, we’re at mid semester and most of us are feeling overwhelmed … stressed and burned out … broken … dull … frustrated. I often wonder if I will ever see the bright colors of spring and summer after another trying, long winter. In a spiritual perspective, where and how can I discover a sense of growth and renewal amidst my spiritual brokenness inside myself? How can my dull, broken crayon be sharpened to paint a magnificent rainbow?

Poet Maya Angelou challenges us with this thought for Lent. "We should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color."