A “sign” like this often freaks people out because we have been trained to tell people what our “religion” is when asked by others. However, Christianity is different. It is not a religion (a set of religious rules), Christianity is a relationship with Christ. Lent (for us mainline protestant types) is a time to reflect on our relationship with the one who gave his life as a sacrifice for sin so that we may be: 1) forgiven, 2) see the consequence of sin, 3) know that God takes sin quite seriously and 4) experience the extent of God’s love.

When Jesus rises on Easter morning and appears to the disciples, he doesn’t proclaim to his disciples, “OK, I cleaned the slate of sin this one time. From now on, be good and follow the rules of our new religion.”

Jesus died knowing we need lots and lots of forgiveness throughout our life. He knows we aren’t very good at being good. Jesus isn’t just a dispenser of forgiveness or even a cosmic law enforcement officer. Jesus became one of us so that we can know Him and love Him the way God knows and loves us. Religion can get in the way of relationship if we start to values rules over loving God and others.

Christianity isn’t about following our own rules (and advice). It is about knowing and following the One who brings hope to hopeless situations. By the way, Jesus is good at that. He brought divine hope on Easter morning when everyone who knew Jesus felt the hopelessness of His death.