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

REPENT

“No one who conceals transgressions will prosper, but one who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”
—Proverbs 28:13

See me, love me, recognize my humanity! That is the cry of many people today. It seems we’ve been crying out for centuries, hoping that the image of God reflected in us be acknowledged and not dismissed.

Concealing and ignoring our transgressions and those of others is what’s hurting our society the most. We can’t keep pretending that all is well when we have front row seats to a never-ending show of horrific human darkness. It’s time to turn to God, to the source of love and mercy, and courageously acknowledge our role in this show.

The work of repentance is a work of courage and transformation that comes from the heart. Repentance means facing our darkness, fighting oppression and injustice in real-time, and boldly rejecting everything that is not of God. I dream of a day when we all decide to turn in the direction of the Gospel of love, a Gospel that is life-giving and where all are truly seen, loved without measure and where the beauty of the image of God is
recognized and celebrated in all human beings.
—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.