Episcopal Relief & Development’s 2025 LENTEN Meditation Journey . . . A COMMONPLACE Lent

Whoever can weep over himself for one hour is greater than the one who is able to teach the whole world; whoever recognizes the death of his own
frailty is greater than the one who sees visions of angels. —Isaac of Nineveh

I ran away once. I don’t remember the reason or the point I was trying to make, but I do remember that I packed a knapsack and hiked into the small stretch of forest that separated our house from a nursing home. Once there, I sat on a large tree stump, with God next to me, for maybe an hour. Then, hungry and bored, I gave up and went home. I don’t think anyone missed me, even though I had tried to time my demonstrative act as close to dinner as possible, thinking someone might notice if I didn’t show up for a meal. But I didn’t last that long; my family didn’t notice, and whatever point I was trying to make that day died along with my frailty in the forest.

I didn’t know it then, but what I practiced there on that stump was a kind of spiritual selfreflection. I, God with me, came to the end of myself, to the end of my twelve-year-old will. I recognized at that moment that I was not the center of anyone’s world but my own, and therefore, the only attention I would garner at that moment was also my own, which seemed pointless. So, I went home, back into the fray of community and family, back to being a part of a greater whole.

Learning to be honest with ourselves about ourselves is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves and those we love. When we, with God’s help, through God’s presence, reach a place where we can admit without rancor that we are not, in fact, the center of anyone’s universe but our own (nor should we be), our place within the larger community becomes a shared gift instead of demand, an honor instead of a right, a joy instead of a burden.

For REFLECTION:

Have you ever experienced the death of your own frailty? What did that look like or feel like? How did it change your participation in your community?

Click here to read the introduction to the 2025 Lenten Meditation “A Commonplace Lent.”

The Lenten Meditations prepared by Episcopal Relief & Development invite readers to deepen their spiritual practice during the season of Lent, the time of preparation leading to Easter. Our 2025 meditations explore the idea of “A Commonplace Lent.” This concept reflects Episcopal Relief & Development’s tagline: “Working Together for Lasting Change.” We share in common the work of advancing lasting change in communities impacted by injustice, poverty, disaster and climate change.

We also share in common spiritual practices that strengthen our faith—prayer, worship, love, grace, service and so much more. The author explores another meaning of common in the  meditations: finding God in the common and ordinary as well as in the extraordinary mountain-top moments. Each day begins with wisdom from desert mothers and fathers, monastics and other spiritual leaders who offer insight into our common path of faithful discipleship and service. Each meditation concludes with a question for deeper reflection.

Episcopal Relief & Development is the compassionate response of The Episcopal Church to human suffering in the world. Hearing God’s call to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to respect the dignity of every human being, Episcopal Relief & Development serves to bring together the generosity of Episcopalians and others with the needs of the world.

This Lenten Meditation Journey is provided courtesy of Episcopal Relief & Development and was authored by Jerusalem Jackson Greer, co-executive director and agrarian minister for the Procter Center, an Episcopal farm, camp and retreat center in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio. As former manager of evangelism and discipleship for The Episcopal Church under Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, she co-founded the Good News Garden movement and oversaw Way of Love and Evangelism initiatives for the wider church.