This Lent, we invite you to take some time to lament that which you and others have lost. In her essay, “Four Steps of Lament,” Heidi Weaver invites us to:
• Rest, to take sabbath time to simply be present to our current situation;
• Reflect on that which has been lost;
• Repent for the sufferings and loss we have caused or overlooked; and
• Make Restitution and be Restored to God and to one another.

This year for our Lenten Meditations we have invited ten writers to share reflections on each of these four steps of lament. These writers are all leaders in The Episcopal Church and represent a diversity of perspectives, ministries and backgrounds. As a result, we are blessed to have a unique and rich tapestry of viewpoints on the universal experience of lament, loss and new life. Many of the authors share deeply personal and painful experiences related to a variety of issues including disease, violence, racial injustice and poverty.

Readers, come to these meditations with an open heart. What you read may challenge you and give rise to unexpected or uncomfortable feelings. We encourage you to engage the “Four Steps of Lament,” by resting, reflecting, repenting and ultimately being restored to God and to one another. Finally our wish for you is that God brings you rest this Lent so that you may reflect on your own loss and be transformed in the process. May God then restore your soul and bring you into the bright new life that is our Easter promise. And may you continue to know that you are loved now and always.
Amen.
Robert W. Radtke
President & CEO
Episcopal Relief & Development

RESTITUTION & RESTORATION

“Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters, since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ.”
—Colossians 3:23-24

During my time in college, I worked at the University Children Center. One child filled my heart with joy because she was always so kind and attentive to her classmates. During clean up time at the end of the day, she would always rush to clean her space to have the time to help her friends. Then, she would run up to me and ask, “What else can I do, Ms. Sandy?” And as I now read the news and scroll through videos on social media, I wonder why
aren’t those that can, and should, running to ask what they can do to help clean up the stains of oppression and ignorance that are getting harder and harder to remove from the fabric of our society?

We should aspire to be like this child, who saw a need and was eager to do more out of love, not wait or want anything in return. Just the joy of being a source of kindness was enough for her. There is a lot of need around us, and we are called to put ourselves into the task of fulfilling God’s dream on earth with determination, excitement and in community.
—Sandy Milien

Source: https://www.episcopalrelief.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Lent-2021-English-BlackWhite.pdf; © 2021 Episcopal Relief & Development. All rights reserved. Printed in partnership with Forward Movement.