Perhaps we have all heard the hopeful words of Jesus recorded by Matthew, “With God, all things are possible.”

However, isn’t the opposite also true? It was the great 19^th century Russian philosopher Dostoevsky who penned the phrase: “Without God, all things are possible.”

Without God, things are apt to go awry.

Without God, we have the propensity to spin out of control.

As the Psalmist insists—without God all behavior that is foolish and destructive is not only possible, it has no limits (Psalm 73:7).

Without God, selfishness, greed, deceit, resentment, malice, racism, sexism, homophobia, hate and despair are not only possible, they are probable.

Walter Brueggaman has correctly observed that: “It is the knowledge of the reality of God present and at work in our world and in our lives which sets limits to destructive possibilities.”

Lent is a time to acknowledge that we need God in our lives, for without God, all sorts of sin and evil are possible. The good news of Lent is that God has come to be in our lives through Christ Jesus our Lord. And with God, there is much that is impossible.

With God, unforgiveness is impossible.

With God, loneliness is impossible.

With God, being lost is impossible.

With God, spiraling out of control is impossible.

With God, despair is impossible.

With God, death is impossible.