Ash Wednesday is intended to be an annual crossroads in the life of a Christian. This year it may also have acted as a crossroads in the life of the monarchy and of the British establishment.
For a Christian, Lent operates as a moment to renew the choice to be a disciple. The ministry of Jesus begins in the early part of the Gospels, with an overt confrontation with the devil. Three archetypal temptations are played out. Jesus exposes the pattern of temptation, overcoming and rejecting it. He leads the way through the blandishments of evil, through death, and towards eternal life; on Ash Wednesday, Christians renew their commitment to follow him.
