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

REST

“For God alone my soul in silence waits; from him comes my salvation.”
—Psalm 62:1

When I was a little girl, there were very few moments of silence around me. In our Dominican and Haitian household, space was always filled with loud conversations, church services, colorful music and the sounds of moto-taxis passing by. Now fast forward to 2021: silence, unrest and uncertainty surround me.

So, I cry out; I cry out to the Lord in despair, pleading that neither the silent pandemic nor the loud and unjustified hatred towards my people ends up hurting or taking away those I love the most. Yet, during these trying times, I find myself needing to use that same silence to recharge, to pause and to actively figure out the best way to heal from all this hurt and uncertainty. And although it’s challenging to live with the fear of loss, I faithfully wait for
God’s promise of salvation, but I no longer wait alone.

I’ve found a community of loving, resilient and dedicated people who have shown me that united in bonds of love, we will continue to walk forward together.
—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.