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March 14, 2017
Isaiah tells us that the place to begin is to listen to God. After standing in his presence, the light reveals my uncleanness so the prophet says, “Wash yourselves clean!” Okay, could you be a bit more specific? How do I do that? “Cease doing evil; learn to do good.” Examples please? “Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.” He could have probably added welcoming the immigrant to that list but I get the drift. What Lenten practices do I have that are designed to bring justice to those who need an advocate, someone to support their cause against oppression? I have a friend who decided one Lent to carry money on him and stop to talk with every homeless-looking person he saw, offering them a few dollars but, more importantly, he felt, a kind word. There are many people who are pretty much on their own and God’s view has always been that those who support those individuals are honoring him. So, what exactly can I do? The prophet says, “Come now, let us set things right, says the Lord.” God wants his children to set things right. What needs to be set right in my world? If I do this, the prophet declares that, although my sins are crimson red, they may become white as wool. But I must be willing, I must obey, I must work to set things right.
Jesus once referred to religious leaders who “tie up heavy burdens to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.” Everything they do is a show. His call to us during Lent is to become the greatest, namely, a servant. Learn during Lent to humble yourself. That may or may not be directly related to the Lenten practices that we choose for our own edification and growth. But it is absolutely part and parcel to the charge to set things right. Without that, what difference does the rest of what we do make?