It’s hard to believe our Lent Madness journey is nearing its inevitable end. We kicked things off over five weeks ago on “Ash Thursday” with 32 saintly souls (which somehow seems a lot longer than that this year). With your help, the field has now been whittled down to just two: Harriet Tubman and Joseph. Who will be awarded the coveted 2020 Golden Halo? That, friends, is up to you.
Regardless of the ultimate outcome, we’ve met some truly remarkable holy people along the way. Perhaps you learned about some folks you’d never heard of or maybe you renewed acquaintances with saints who have long offered inspiration. Of course the entire notion of placing saints in a bracket is absurd — each “contestant” has already earned a crown of righteousness in addition to a “golden halo.” But at the heart of Lent Madness is the abiding conviction that encountering those who have come before us in the faith enriches and enlivens our own walk with the risen Christ.
In the process of this whimsical Lenten devotion we’ve all made some new online friends, encountered a community of believers who take their faith but not themselves too seriously, learned some things, were inspired by saintly witnesses, and hopefully had some fun along the way.
Of course we literally couldn’t have done this without our amazing Celebrity Bloggers to whom we offer sincere gratitude: Amber Belldene, Laurie Brock, Megan Castellan, Anna Fitch Courie, David Creech, Miguel Escobar, Neva Rae Fox, David Hansen, Carol Howard Merritt, Emily McFarlan Miller, Sandra Montes, and David Sibley. Thanks to Bracket Czar Adam Thomas for his stellar behind-the-scenes work in keeping the bracket updated daily. You all rock!
A special shout-out to Sister Diana Doncaster, of the Society of the Transfiguration, who kept us humming our favorite hymns throughout the season with her brilliant daily musical offerings based on the saintly pairings.
Thank you to everyone at Forward Movement for putting up with our shenanigans and producing a terrific Saintly Scorecard this year.
2019 Golden Halo Winner Martha of Bethany prepares to hand over the 2020 crown.
Finally, thanks to all of you who participated by voting, commenting, drinking coffee out of Lent Madness mugs, filling in brackets, talking about saints with friends, liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter, and allowing us to play a small role in your Lenten journey. We’ve loved having each one of you along for the “madness” and on behalf of the Supreme Executive Committee we wish you a blessed Holy Week and a joyous Easter.
Before we invite you to cast this final vote, we should note that Sandra Montes has ably shepherded Harriet Tubman through the bracket, while Neva Rae Fox has done the same for Joseph. We’ve asked them for a single image and one quote either by or about their saint. We’ve already heard a lot about Harriet and Joseph — click the Bracket tab and scroll down to view their previous match-ups if you want to refresh your memory. And then, it’s time to make your choice.
The polls will be open for 24 hours and the winner will be announced at 8:00 am Eastern time on Maundy Thursday. Now go cast your vote — the 2020 Lent Madness Golden Halo hangs in the balance!
Harriet Tubman
“God’s time [Emancipation] is always near. He set the North Star in the heavens; He gave me the strength in my limbs; He meant I should be free.”
-- Harriet Tubman
Joseph
Go, then to Joseph, and do all that he shall say to you;
Go to Joseph, and obey him as Jesus and Mary obeyed him;
Go to Joseph, and speak to him as they spoke to him;
Go to Joseph, and consult him as they consulted him;
Go to Joseph, and honour him as they honoured him;
Go to Joseph, and be grateful to him as they were grateful to him;
Go to Joseph, and love him, as they love him still.
-- St. Alphonsus Liguori
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160 comments on “For the Golden Halo: Harriet Tubman vs. Joseph”
This shouldn't even be a competition - Harriet Tubman risked her life over and over again so that others could be freed from torture and death. If ever there were a saint, she was one, and I can't think of a more deserving "competitor" for this year's bracket.
Thank you to the SEC, celebrity bloggers, and all who work behind the scenes to make Lent Madness happen -- and thank you to the Lent Madness Global Public, all of you who vote and/or comment. In this weird Lent 2020, it has been wonderful to have this group of brothers and sisters to walk and converse with, albeit through the medium of computers. I hope to see you all again next Lent.
Amen, Amy. Be well!
I have voted for Joseph all the way along, but today I have to vote for Harriet. In many ways Joseph is an ideal but for Harriet we know a lot about her extraordinary determination and heroism.
This has been great fun and a release from the bondage we are experiencing with the times we are living. Thank you all for lifting our spirits and glory to God for all the days to come.
The Lord be with you. Amen
flipping a coin...Joseph
Blessings on all our 'madness' virtual community! I will miss the wonderful and blessed camaraderie and insightfulness shared on this on-line journey. Be safe, be well, God bless.
PS . . . and blessings on Oliver whose youthful insights have been missed this year!
Harriet is amazing. But her heroism is so lofty that I can admire it far more than emulate it. Whereas I can draw strength from Joseph's in-the-background faithfulness and love. Joseph for me.
Harriet for the Halo!! Can we get a set of Final 4 mugs this year?
Yes, please!
ui want the painted peg dolls!!
Ooo, more mugs!
Ooo, painted peg dolls!
I was having a hard time deciding but have remembered this: one tear during our churches Christmas Live Nativity we asked a young man from our neighborhood if he wanted to be Joseph. He said “Who’s Joseph?” And we got to tell him as we dressed him in the Joseph costume. On the 2nd run through Joseph was portrayed by a young man with intellectual disabilities. Afterwards he called his mom and excitedly told her,”I got to be Joseph!” We called the evening the miracle of Joseph. So today I will vote for Joseph for the Golden Halo!
Thanks all!
What a wonderful journey we are experiencing. Like the saints we've chosen with our votes their journeys brought them to us through faith and love and hope. Can we become saints without those same attributes?
It doesn't matter who I voted for. It matters that I want to learn more about what it takes to be on the ballot.
Happy Spy Wednesday! Joseph for the Golden Halo!
What a blessing this year's madness has been. So much to learn! My 86 year old UMC mother followed along for the first time. Lent Madness has been a touchstone in 2020. My gratitude and God's blessings to Tim and Scott, Adam, and all of the bloggers. Well done, Y'all!
I Want a Saint
Joseph vs Harriet, Holy Week 2020
I want a saint who steps up to the plate
who does the right thing without blaming or accusing,
who is a good dad, and a good husband
who deals with childbirth on the road,
and colic, and fleeing to Egypt, because
it's not about him. And he's okay with that.
I want a saint who supports his family,
who works his trade and passes it on,
who panics when his 12-year-old disappears in a crowd
and prays in thanks and relief when he is found,
and watches this adolescent turn into a stranger,
stranger and stranger and more mysterious,
but then he remembers the words of an angel
and keeps on loving him, keeps on being a good dad
and a good husband, knowing his name will fade
into the background of the story, because
it's not about him. And he's okay with that.
I want a saint who dreams the impossible
and then walks the walk, and runs the run,
over and over, because impossible or not (Not!),
it's the right thing to do. I want a saint who
knows her name is not what others call her, no:
Her name is Freedom. Her name is Child of God.
I want a saint who see stars and sees God,
who sees torches and keeps going, who hears dogs
and the footfall of dangerous men, and keeps going,
keeps going to taste the freedom she has never known,
but knows is her birthright. I want a saint
who sees what needs to be done and does it,
keeps doing it, in fits and starts, not pondering
whether it's possible. I want a saint
with the faith to start something big, something
still left undone, but still being carried out, in fits and starts,
by others who keep going in her name; in her legacy.
Because everybody's name is Child of God. Because
everybody's name is Freedom.
I want saints who see what needs to be done, and do it,
who do the right thing, not counting the cost,
who don't care about fame or halos. But maybe --
since they are folks like me; like all of us! -- maybe,
finally, when they rest in the arms of Love,
beaten and bloodied, sweaty and tear-stained, maybe
sweet and holy smiles will cross their lips
when they hear that holy whisper:
Well done, my child. Well done.
-- Lisa Keppeler 4/8/2020
Wow! So True. Maybe we need a mug with Joseph on one side and Harriet on the other.
Wow, Lisa, that's wonderful. Thank you. How inspired.
Thank you, Lisa! I want that as well. ❤️
wow.
that was worth the read!
Beautiful, Lisa. And, no doubt, beautiful Lisa.
What an amazing poem. Thank you.
Simply stunning! Thanks, Lisa!
Lisa, your poem brought tears to my eyes, after all these long days filled with anxiety and trying to keep busy...finally I could let it out. Thank you! I appreciate both Harriet and Joseph so very much, continue to learn from them, the other saints, and all my brothers and sisters here in LM-world! Blessings to all of you, and let us sing ALLELUIA this Sunday with gratitude and joy, for we never know when it will be our last Easter. Amen.
Since the entire country has been in a state of Lentin sacrifice (social distancing) It's been wonderful to have Lent Madness as an alternate point of focus. Tubman v Joseph is a difficult, but wonderful choice to have to make. I actually predicted this would be the final choice when I first saw the Bracket. Whoever wins, I hope the Silver Halo gets a good coffee mug too. Thanks to the Supreme Executive Committee and all the Celebrity Bloggers for a wonderful and much needed season.
I had no time to write a poem today, but it came to me at dawn and demanded my attention, as poems do.
I still don't know who to vote for. Could we have a tie, please?
Thank you Lisa! Beautiful.
In the Zen tradition they study koans - paradox stories - “what is the sound of one hand clapping” - to force the mind to give up rationality and break thru to the Ultimate.
I think today’s matchup is like that - they’re both worthy, how can you chose?
You can’t - and that’s OK.
I voted for Harriet Tubman, truly a saint for all times. Thank you all so much! Every year it seems that Lent Madness becomes more and more important to me, but this year, when our travel is nonexistent and even going for a walk in the mall is unwise, it is a spiritual life-saver. At age 82 and with a complicated health history, especially in the lung department, I began to isolate very soon after the virus hit NY and NJ. Both of us are so grateful to the staffs of our two "church homes": Christ Church United Methodist in Manhattan and the United Methodist Church in Madison, NJ (where we live) for the meaningful Sunday services they telecast via Internet. Kudos to our Bishop for his Palm Sunday sermon. Thanks to the grocery stores for opening early just for seniors. And thank you to the SEC and each and every one of you for your companionship during this Lent. I hope to travel with you all next year, the Lord willing. Soon we will join in proclaiming "The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed!"
Thank you, Lucy. Stay well.
May God's time be our time.
Its Harriet for me. In this time of pandemic, her words, voiced by Michael Currry are more apt than ever, "if you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going… Don’t give up, don’t give in… if you want to taste freedom, keep going!” Praise be to God!
I enjoyed this and thank you executive committee for your hard work and your writers for their hard work. I learn
about new saints every year.
Michael thank you for your thoughtful message.
Tough choices. What I've enjoyed about the contest aspect of Lent Madness is pondering each saint and possibly reflecting more on their stories because of the vote. Often I discovered that I voted for the "loser" but that's okay. Thanks to all the great bloggers and comments I left each day appreciative for the example of each person. A number of them were new to me.
Just one question, the intro to today's contest mentions the daily hymns selected by Sister Diana Doncaster. I have not heard any music nor seen links to any other than the theme music during Monday Madness. How have I missed that?
I wondered that too, Bruce.
I was surprised what a blessing this Lenten Madness became as we journey through this time of fear and sorrow. Thanks to all the loving and clever hands and hearts who worked so hard to prepare and present the amazing stories of faith and hope!
I voted for Joseph for his steady presence since the Nativity. But I really hope he doesn't win. I can't imagine the imagined image of the father of Christ on a mug.
This year’s madness has helped keep me sane. As always, thank you SEC and bloggers. Lent Madness always enriches my Lenten experience. God’s peace to all and stay well! See ya next year.
I felt completely disloyal to Jesus, but after much deliberation in the voting booth, I went with Harriet. I’m going to make today’s quote into a kitschy cross stitch for my den.
I also took some time to look back on the saints I met this Lent Madness season. I’m surprised that Patrick got bounced so early, but glad that Brother Lawrence and his little book Practicing the Presence of God was pushed to the fore. Glad I got to vote “Junia” for the first time since I “met” her in 1979, when I first battled intransigent sexism in the conservative church. That vote was a long time coming, thank you! I also fell hard for Hildegard this go-round. That was fun! And the highlight for me was of course, Herman of Alaska! I’m an native Alaska (small ‘n’ not capital ‘N’) and I enjoyed witnessing his story embraced by the Lent Madness community. Though long a Herman fan, the write-ups and comments focused my attention on near new aspects of this wonderful man’s example.
Because the pandemic has been such a buzzkill, the Madness did lose a lot of the frivolity for me this year. So much fear and uncertainty lay ahead. And now, as the Madness concludes - I have Harriet Tubman to shine a light on how to proceed. I’ve ordered her book, I’m righting myself and ready to look to her strength and wisdom and faith as the perfect example for the upcoming days and months ahead. Until next Lent season, friends, God bless and keep each of you!
And God bless you, Linda. Thanks for sharing. I'm going to celebrate St. Herman's feast day on my birthday this year (and years to come, I hope).
Herman was one of the highlights for me too! Richard, I hope you enjoy your celebration.
I think that, in every round, I voted for what turned out to be the loser. This did not compromise my learning experience. So thank you SEC & Bloggers.
I expected to vote for Harriet today but the Auden poem and "which father did Jesus cry out to?" tipped it to Joseph for me. Harriet was extraordinary but today Joseph, for the ordinary people providing front line essentials-of-life care to people in hospitals and eldercare facilities. We don't know much about their lives either, but we know they are holding the world together right now.
Deep respect to both saints.
Shifting gears - you know, Joseph is used to playing a secondary role...to Jesus' other Father, to his more celebrated spouse. I think it would be lovely if he got a good enough showing today to be honoured with a Silver Halo engraved multi-tool or wood-engraved claw hammer or something, or a special label wood glue - in honour of holding things together?
Ooo, One of the Jennifers, a Silver Halo engraved multi-tool--or something like that. What a great idea! (Are you listening, SEC?)
I agree-I'd buy one too.
While I very much admire Harriet Tubman, I think that there is no one who is a better example of simple and complex faith and obedience than Joseph. Because he did not carry Jesus in his body he does not get the veneration that Mary does but he made it possible for Mary to hold her head up, give birth and survive in very difficult times. Although I did not follow this Lent Madness every day I have enjoyed it again and will miss it. Stay safe everyone.
In this time of open struggle and downright despair, I voted for Harriet, but it was a really hard choice;. As it's supposed to be by now.
But I'd buy a Silver Halo Joseph engraved multi-tool for my dear husband.
a Silver Halo Joseph engraved multi-tool
Oh, wouldn't that make a great Christmas gift? Now if only someone would make one!
I have wanted to respond to so many of the posts today, in appreciation and in fellow feeling. This was my first year of participating, and it has meant so much to me to have a light-hearted, but often moving, look at people who struggled and rejoiced, just as we are struggling and rejoicing in this strange spring. Even more surreal this week for me and my family, we lost my two aunts within five days of each other, and there is no rushing to be with my ailing mother. But like Joseph, my brother and sister and their spouses are there, walking with her day to day. It's been Harriet all the way for me, but I have a new appreciation for other saints, known and unknown, all those filling the bracket, thoughtfully blogging, and posting responses humorous, passionate, and poetic. I will carry you with me as I keep going by the light of the Eternal.
"fellow feeling": a wonderful term from the "fifth Elizabeth" this year