Episcopal Relief & Development’s 2025 LENTEN Meditation Journey . . . A COMMONPLACE Lent

No one grows simply by doing what someone else forces us to do. We begin to grow when we finally want to grow. —Sr. Joan Chittister, Rule of
Saint Benedict

In the film As Good As It Gets, the heroine, Carol, says to her mother, Beverly, “Why can’t I have a normal boyfriend? Just a regular boyfriend, one that doesn’t go nuts on me!” Beverly replies, “Everybody wants that, dear. It doesn’t exist.”

To me, this is the essence of being human. Each of us, in some way, in some corner of our life, wants to be the exception. We want to draw the lucky straw. We want to slide under the wire of having to experience certain parts of being human.

But here is the thing about a common life: all of us struggle. All of us celebrate. All of us have good days and horrible days. We all want to be loved and give love, even if it scares us. And all of us have choices. No matter where we reside in the world, our position in society, our economic status, our gender or our beliefs about God, we all have choices to make every single day about how we will act and react as members of Creation. We humans can never escape the reality that as complicated, messy, emotional, spiritual and physical beings, our actions and reactions affect others—animals, minerals and vegetables—every single day.

Whether we get better at this or become more loving, kinder, considerate, generous, patient, just, flexible and empathetic in these actions and reactions, well, that is up to us. It’s not dependent on our bank accounts, education, churches or families. It depends on us choosing to grow, learn, change and accept what is, with God’s help. Here on Holy Saturday, as we wait for resurrection, it is time to decide. Will we grow? Or will we remain where we are, as we are?

For REFLECTION:

As you wait for Easter, consider where and how God is calling you to grow.

Click here to read the introduction to the 2025 Lenten Meditation “A Commonplace Lent.”

The Lenten Meditations prepared by Episcopal Relief & Development invite readers to deepen their spiritual practice during the season of Lent, the time of preparation leading to Easter. Our 2025 meditations explore the idea of “A Commonplace Lent.” This concept reflects Episcopal Relief & Development’s tagline: “Working Together for Lasting Change.” We share in common the work of advancing lasting change in communities impacted by injustice, poverty, disaster and climate change.

We also share in common spiritual practices that strengthen our faith—prayer, worship, love, grace, service and so much more. The author explores another meaning of common in the  meditations: finding God in the common and ordinary as well as in the extraordinary mountain-top moments. Each day begins with wisdom from desert mothers and fathers, monastics and other spiritual leaders who offer insight into our common path of faithful discipleship and service. Each meditation concludes with a question for deeper reflection.

Episcopal Relief & Development is the compassionate response of The Episcopal Church to human suffering in the world. Hearing God’s call to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to respect the dignity of every human being, Episcopal Relief & Development serves to bring together the generosity of Episcopalians and others with the needs of the world.

This Lenten Meditation Journey is provided courtesy of Episcopal Relief & Development and was authored by Jerusalem Jackson Greer, co-executive director and agrarian minister for the Procter Center, an Episcopal farm, camp and retreat center in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio. As former manager of evangelism and discipleship for The Episcopal Church under Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, she co-founded the Good News Garden movement and oversaw Way of Love and Evangelism initiatives for the wider church.