In her book, “The Great Transformation,” a book discussing the beginnings of the great religious traditions, Karen Armstrong says, “What mattered is not what you believed but how you behaved.”

She says that all the great traditions have this in common in the beginning. However, as time passed, this common connection was overshadowed by an emphasis upon what we believe. In defense of their different beliefs, religions that share a concern for moral living often attack each other as if they were enemies.

Armstrong also points out another way we are different from our ancestors. In the modern world, a world largely shaped by science, we are inclined to say that before we follow the way of life prescribed by God we must first prove that such a God exists. Our ancestors would say that we have it backwards. First we follow the way our God would have us live and in following that path we discover God in our lives.

There is a long-established tradition of giving up something for Lent. As a child I learned what you could call the “minimalist” version. People would talk about giving up chewing gum for Lent. Of course people who did this didn’t chew gum. There were numerous variations on this theme, all equally meaningless.

As I grew older I met people who took Lent much more seriously, but I can’t say that it made much sense to me. If you gave up something that was bad during Lent, why just during Lent? And, if you started to do something good during Lent, again, why just during Lent?

I think my logic was good. If ones Lenten discipline is giving up something bad for Lent one should surely give serious consideration to giving it up permanently. Those who take Lent very seriously, often do more than just giving up something for the season. They often add something new to their lives such as reading the Bible in a more disciplined way or adding new forms of prayer to ones life. Why just during Lent?

Surely one could make a case for saying that these are probably things that should be made part of ones whole life, not just Lent. However, there is a good case for doing them on a “trial” basis during Lent. Perhaps in doing this activity, even if for only a limited, prescribed time, you will discover God in them. I would like to illustrate how this principle of learning has been part of my life, now as hospice chaplain but also in my many years as a pastor.

When you work with dying people and their families and friends who are left behind, you hear many stories. Often the stories begin with the words, “You may have trouble believing this, but…” The story which follows is often a story about a time when God’s presence became very clear to them. It was a calming presence.

Why did they begin with the words, “You may have trouble believing this, but…..” The reason is because they are telling a story that reveals the transcendent power of God revealing himself in the life of an individual. Some people would indeed say they have gone off the deep end, but they haven’t. In fact, they have found what the scriptures call, “The peace of God which passes all understanding.” It does indeed pass all understanding. We cannot explain it but it is most real to those who tell their stories. Just because I can’t explain it certainly doesn’t mean I can discount their story.

The ancients would have said it is not what you believe but how you behave. Yes, that can well be understood as a call to compassionate, loving living in the name of our God. But it is also a reminder that how we live is often the pathway to knowing our God. And, in taking that path we find our God.