“For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” (I Corinthians 1:22-25)  Our second lesson this week brings us directly to the heart of the Lenten season, and for that matter, the heart of our faith.  The message of Christ crucified remains a scandal a stumbling block to everyone.  It gets in the way of everything.  I have always loved the way Flannery O’Connor says it through the voice of one her most famous characters, the Misfit:  “Jesus thrown everything off balance…”  Lent is the great reminder to us that there is no way to follow Jesus casually.  He has redefined everything and now invites us to live in the light of that.  All we need do is trade our strength for his weakness, our wisdom for his foolishness.  And having done that we may begin to understand what life and love really mean.