“For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water.” (I Peter 3:18-20)  We begin our Lenten journey with one of the most unusual New Testament scriptures.  It speaks of our crucified Lord and his descent to the dead.  I cannot begin to explain the “how” of this; the text quickly breaks our neat little categories.  But maybe what is most important is what it asserts: the crucial Gospel truth that our Lord pursues sinners with his word of grace even into the most far off and terrible places.  Perhaps if you and I are really to keep a holy Lent, that is, you and I are really going to recognize our desperate need for a Savior; we must begin here.  We must begin with a radical assertion that our Lord pursues us with his love long after we would lose all hope.  In other words, for you and me to face the truth of our lives we begin with the triumph of his grace and the recognition that Jesus will have the last word for us all.  May this Lenten season be filled with wonder for you and have a great week!