The Greek philosopher Socrates, at his trial in 399 BC famously stated that “The unexamined life is not worth living”. This is one of the most famous statements made by one of the wisest men who ever lived. It is worth paying attention to. The saying was spoken by Socrates at his trial when he was sentenced to death. He was sentenced to death because he refused to stop teaching his students to think for themselves. His trial and death was recorded in Plato’s Apology. Socrates believed that a life without introspection, self-reflection, and critical thinking is essentially meaningless and lacks value. This quote emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and questioning one’s beliefs, actions, and purpose in life.
From the earliest days the church has regarded Socrates most famous saying as a rare glimpse into the eternal truth of mankind. We are not to live life like the animals. God gave us minds to think with and souls with which to reach for heaven. Failure to use these God-given gifts are a denial of the very nature of man and an insult to the creator of all. In Genesis, Adam and Eve start out naked and unashamed and they have been given everything they need with which to lead happy lives. But it is not enough for them. They take what they should not even have desired and sin enters in. They become ashamed of their nakedness and stitch together loin cloths of fig leaves. When God discovers their sin, He pronounces their punishment and casts them out of the Garden. Before doing that He makes them clothes made of animal skins and He gives them Dominion of all that they see. God punishes and then He blesses. From that time forward life has been harder for human beings. And ever since we have been trying to get back to the Garden.
Very early on in Jesus’ ministry among us he was driven to the desert to be tempted by the devil. Surely as a younger man, he had seen temptation. but this time the temptations were worthy of the King of Creation. This was a time of purification, and commitment to a purpose, and determination to carry out his mission. That is what Lent is supposed to be for us.
We human beings don’t fly. We walk this earth step by step. That is also how we grow. As we go through life we learn new truths, and we find new ways of growing in Christ. Our changes very seldom come in bursts. More often they come in drips and drabs. Lent is intended as an entire season where the scriptures that we read, the prayers that we pray, and the resolutions that we make are supposed to mirror Christ’s 40 days in the desert.
A lot of people resist the idea of looking hard at their sinfulness. They would rather not look too hard at the shameful chapters in their own lives. They would rather not examine too carefully the motives that brought them into a miserable place in life. However, if we are going to continue to try to become that which our Lord and Master bids us grow into, we have to examine our lives, determine our ideals, and scope out a path to walk that makes us better men and women and more fit for the service of God.
A lot of people would rather not admit that they have done wrong. A lot of people would rather not confess to the error of their actions. But that is the enexamined life. And if we don’t look at what we have done wrong or at what we have done right; if we live lives like the animals that simply go from one meal to the next until they die, then we will miss our opportunity to become the creatures that God has called us tro be.