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

“Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord.
—Isaiah 1:18a

One of the defining moments of my life was the fight that closed down a crack house behind the community center where I worked. The community won a $1 million grant, and neighborhood leaders were excited about the possibilities for change. Then disappointment came when most of the money went to agencies located outside of the neighborhood. That experience remains with me and informs my current work of focusing on congregational/community engagement and transformation.

How do well-meaning people with resources and power faithfully engage neglected communities without running over the people who actually live there? I believe it begins with conversation and a commitment to local residents being the decision-makers. This recognition of the strength and sustainability found in local resources is at the heart of asset-based community development. I’ve worked with congregations and communities where deep and lasting change has happened. It requires humility and a true commitment to reconciliation. We cannot turn around decades of neighborhood neglect and broken promises without first creating trust. Like God has done, we must seek out the “other” and recognize their full capacity as people created in God’s image.

It will take many conversations, time and, yes, arguments to build the trust needed for real change. Yet, some of the most lasting and gratifying work I’ve experienced came from hard conversations with residents committed to their community. I believe people of faith can lead the pathway forward by humbly engaging in authentic conversation and relationships with the people in the communities we serve. This begins one conversation at a time.
—Willie Bennett

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.