Ash Wednesday marks the traditional start of the Lenten season. Christian faith communities observe this season in various ways, including revivals, renewal weekends, fasting, and sacrificial acts — and don’t forget those Friday night fish frys.

Lent is a time to focus on repentance, forgiveness, and receiving God’s mercy and grace. It is a time to reflect on the forgiveness made available through what Jesus accomplished on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. 

Regardless of how your faith community observes Lent, one thing is certain. Our actions during Lent can never earn God’s forgiveness. Instead, our devotional practices during Lent can deepen our relationship with God. Lent is more than a tradition; it’s an opportunity.

I recall what former Army Ranger Tom Allen shared some years ago about his reaction to the movie Saving Private Ryan, starring Matt Damon and Tom Hanks.

“I finally saw Saving Private Ryan about two weeks ago. I was extremely proud until the last minute of the movie.

As the movie began, I was proud watching the Rangers take Omaha Beach. Then, the story begins when they receive a mission to go deep into enemy territory to save Private Ryan. They hit skirmish after skirmish, and some of them are killed along the way. They finally get to where Private Ryan is holed up, and they say, “Come with us. We’ve come to save you.”

He says, “I’m not going. I have to stay here because there’s a big battle coming up, and if I leave my men they’re all going to die.”

What do the Rangers say? “We’ll stay here and fight with you.” They all stay and fight, and it’s gory and hard, and almost everyone dies except Private Ryan. At the end, one of the main characters—Tom Hanks—is sitting on the ground. He’s been shot and he’s dying. The battle has been won.

Private Ryan leans over to him, and Tom Hanks whispers something to him. Everyone in the theater is crying because Tom Hanks was shot; I was crying because of what he said—it was so terrible. Private Ryan bent down and Tom Hanks said, “Earn this.” The reason that made me angry is no Ranger would ever say, “Earn this.” Why? Because the Ranger motto for the past 200 years has not been “Earn this.” The Ranger motto for the past 200 years has been Sua sponte, “I chose this.” I volunteered for this.

So, when Private Ryan bent down, if Tom Hanks was really a Ranger he would have said, “Sua sponte, I chose this. This is free. You don’t pay anything for this. I give up my life for you. That’s my job.”

And so when you look at the cross and see Jesus hanging there, what you do not hear is “Earn this.” You never hear Jesus say, “Earn this.” He doesn’t say, “I’ve given everything for you. Now, you need to gut it out for me.” What he says is “Sua sponte.” I volunteered for this. You don’t have to pay anything for it.”

The philosopher Peter Kreeft put it this way, “We do not do good works to get into heaven; we do good works because heaven has gotten into us.”

This Lent, the thought I will reflect on during these 40 days is this, “We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

 Sua sponte indeed.