When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. John 18:1

Just one verse to start off Lent and a chance to reflect on some of the side points that might be weaved into John’s narrative.

Here in John 18, Jesus has just finished a lengthy prayer session with his disciples. This is of note, I think. Jesus is just about to embark on the largest mission campaign the world has ever seen. In fact, so large it seems somewhat insulting to even call it a mission campaign. It’s more profound than that.

And yet, this is what it is also.

What better way to begin a mission than in sustained prayer. If even the Messiah himself does exactly that, then who are we to think and do otherwise?

Mission is always God’s work, so it makes no sense to forget to check in with HQ at the start, throughout and at the conclusion of mission work. Prayer is vital.

After the prayer session, Jesus leads his disciples through the valley and to a garden. The garden in this verse is not yet named, which is good because it allows for different reflections.

Firstly, it’s a garden.

That should ring a bell. A bell all the way back in Genesis and the Garden of Eden.

When God created the world He saw that it was good and everything in it was good. God created man and woman and put them in the Garden of Eden to work it.

But they rebelled against God and he banished them from the garden.

I wonder if that’s why Jesus takes his disciples to a garden.

I wonder if he’s signalling back to another garden, where everything went wrong.

I wonder if he’s signalling that he’s doing a reboot.

‘Let’s go back to the garden,” he says. “Let’s go back and do it all over again, properly.”

Humanity has made a mess. You don’t need to be a believer to know that. Waiting for the metro on the weekend I sat behind a couple talking about Australian politics, which then led to a short discussion of global politics.

“The world is just shaken up” the woman concluded.

At this point I almost turned around, feeling the need to mention Jesus as a solution.

Easter is about a solution: Jesus’ restoration of everything that humanity has turned into a mess.

So I guess Lent is an opportunity to focus our minds on the solution, and how much we need it.

I’m looking forward to the spiritual journey.

Yours at the start of Lent,

Alison