This bright yellow dandelion is "laughing" because the long-armed gardener doesn't have a plan: you don't get rid of a dandelion by yanking it. Dandelions have long carrot-like tap roots. The only thing that'll happen here is the stems and leaves will break off — the persistent root will remain. This gardener has real work ahead of him if he wants the dandelions gone.
And once again (at least on the old liturgical calendar) it is Septuagesima Sunday. It is roughly seventy days to Easter. Sexagesima and Quinquagesima Sundays will follow. Lent is the prep time for Easter and the three "gesima" Sundays are a kind of prep to the prep. Too bad they were abolished in the throw-away 60's. I suppose they were thought to be redundant. But Lent is a major deal and we could do with some time to think about how we're going to approach it — something this gardener has failed to do going haphazardly into the weedy yard, grabbing ignorantly at this and that.
The liturgical year reflects nature which takes place gradually, over time. The American way jumps right in. Spiritually that's dangerous — show up, get your ashes, get your wafer, get your blessing and off you go! I'd suggest getting rid of these prep Sundays was a sell out to the crazed, hurry-up culture which picked up steam in the 1960's. But nothing in the spiritual life is in a hurry. When I was a boy, a 45 minute sermon was almost normative. Later, in the seminary the instruction was, "If you can't say it in eleven minutes, don't bother." I met a seminarian more recently who told me, "Eight minutes is the maximum time for a homily."
Here's an idea for the prep Sundays: think about getting rid of opinionating during Lent. Americans opine about everything — I like this; not that. This is okay; that's not. This is acceptable; that's too far. Please review and rate our service. If there's anything that reflects this opinionating world gone out of control it's the whole mask "debate." I put "debate" in quotes not because it's a real debate but more an almost violent defense of why someone refuses to wear one, especially if science suggests a benefit. Tweeting — so out of control we have the phrase, Tweet Storm.
I took an icon painting tutorial some years ago — myself, the instructor (an Orthodox priest's wife) and two women parishioners. The ladies talked non-stop while painting their icons: what the grandchildren were up to, what they saw in the stores, what they were going to do the rest of the day, where they got the coffee they brought in with them. The priest walked into the room one morning, watched a few moments (listened really) and then with a nice smile said as he turned to leave, "Where there are many words, sin cannot be avoided." Some people might not like the word "sin" — they might be of the opinion it sounds too old-fashioned. Maybe better, "Where there are many words, spiritual wrong turns cannot be avoided."
Septuagesima Sunday suggests we might start to listen more consciously to ourselves if we want to get-ready for Lent. Listen for the flood of opinions surrounding us, especially if we've got the news on all day or spend a lot of time on the phone. We can be a grabby culture, e.g. toilet paper, paper towels, sanitizer, coldcuts. Opinionating is a kind of grabbing or grasping after approval, recognition, power, self-reassurance or influence.
We might "give up" opinionating this Lent and see what we discover about ourselves. I'd suggest it's infinitely harder to do than no chocolate, no wine and much more important and life-enhancing. Come Easter, someone might say, "You know, you're different." In fact, I'd suggest if no one ever says, "You know, something's different about you lately," I'm no better off than the gardener who doesn't get at the dandelion root.
