Second Sunday of Lent: Letting Go, Trusting the Spirit, and Walking in Liberation
- Flannel Diaries
- Mar 16
- 3 min read
"But now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." — John 16:5-7
"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, 'Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.' And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'” — John 20:19-22
The Pain of Letting Go & The Power of Transformation
Lent is a season of letting go—of certainty, of control, of comfort. It is a time of walking through the wilderness of grief, doubt, and waiting, trusting that something greater is coming even when we cannot yet see it.
In John 16:5-7, Jesus speaks words that terrify His disciples: “I must go.” They can’t understand why. They are consumed by grief, filled with fear. How could His leaving possibly be good for them?
But Jesus is telling them something profound: Transformation requires change. Growth requires discomfort. Liberation requires letting go.
By John 20:19-22, we see the disciples after Jesus' death—hiding behind locked doors, overcome by fear. Fear of empire. Fear of the religious elite. Fear that everything they believed in was collapsing.
But then, Jesus enters their fear. He breathes on them. He gives them the Spirit. He sends them out.
What they thought was the end was actually the beginning of their liberation.
Liberation Theology: The Spirit is in the Struggle
Jesus’ words are a challenge not just for the disciples, but for us today.
The systems of empire, white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism teach us to cling to what is safe—to protect our power, to maintain the status quo, to fear change.
But liberation theology tells us that the Spirit is not found in safety—it is found in movement, in disruption, in change.
Jesus had to leave for the Spirit to come.
The disciples had to let go of their fear to step into their purpose.
We must be willing to release our own grip on certainty, privilege, and comfort if we are to step into true justice.
The Spirit is not a passive comforter—it is a force of liberation. It is the power that broke the chains of slavery, led people to resist colonization, marched in civil rights movements, and continues to stir in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and economic equity today.
Where Are We Locking Ourselves Away?
The disciples were locked behind doors, trapped by fear.
Where do we see that same fear today?
Fear of speaking out against oppression because it might cost us something.
Fear of dismantling systems that benefit some at the expense of others.
Fear of stepping fully into our calling because we don’t know what it will demand of us.
But Jesus enters that fear.
And He doesn’t just offer peace—He offers a mission.
“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
He is calling us out of fear and into the work of justice, of liberation, of love that takes risks.
Lenten Call to Action: The Courage to Step Forward
This Lent, we are called to ask ourselves difficult questions:
🔹 What are we afraid to let go of?
🔹 Where have we locked ourselves away in fear?
🔹 What new breath, what new life, is the Spirit trying to give us?
We are not just called to keep our heads above water—we are called to swim toward the shore, to move forward with intention.
Even when the world tells us to give up, we press forward. Even when injustice feels overwhelming, we resist. Even when we are afraid, the Spirit is already sending us forward.
The work of liberation is not easy. But the Spirit has already been breathed upon us. Now, we must go.
🔥 Peace be with you. And may we all have the courage to receive it.
Take care of yourselves and take care of each other.
Read my Lenten Reflections at: https://www.flanneldiaries.com link in bio.
.jpg)
Comments