By reading them, we can begin to love and trust God through the Jesus stories. Jesus Christ is the greatest spiritual teacher known in world history. He is completely non-homophobic. Through Jesus, people of all sexual orientations can find a loving place in the Biblical stories. Lent is about spiritual pilgrimage.
Pilgrimage is a sacred journey that everyone can participate in through reading the gospels.
Huston Smith wisely suggests that we each need to target a place, our Mecca, our Jerusalem, and our Mount Meru to begin the inward sacred journey. The gospel of Mark is the shortest Jesus account and many of our Lenten reflections come from these energetic stories. Many pilgrims find centering prayer through a sacred word, name or phrase to be spiritually empowering. Through meaningful repetition, we can often become centered and grounded. Some might call this a mantra.