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

“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burntofferings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
—Micah 6:6-8

When the process of lamenting is over, what is next? What are God’s expectations for those who have been injured and for those who have hurt others? What is necessary for reconciliation? It comes down to this for the prophet Micah: that all of us do justice and love kindness and walk humbly with God.

Accomplishing these three goals is the work of a lifetime. Sometimes, those who have been injured erect barriers to protect their hearts. When that happens, bitterness can replace kindness. Perhaps that is why the prophet reminds us of the need for humility, lest those who have been offended end up hurting other people.

When God’s justice is enacted, our communities will be places where everyone can thrive. In the kingdom of God, no one is exempt from the responsibility to demonstrate kindness and humility. Faithful disciples are called to eradicate injustice wherever they find it. Ultimately, talk is cheap. Our actions demonstrate what we value far more than our words.

A Lenten discipline’s goal is to establish patterns that will continue beyond the forty days of Lent. As we prepare for Holy Week and Easter, identify one cause you are passionate about and volunteer your time, talents or treasure in a spirit of humility and kindness.
—Phoebe Roaf

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.