Lament

Lent is not over until Easter day. There remains time to examine our lives and find God's guidance.

At our cell last night the astute point was made that, for some, Lent is a time of self-reflection and examination, which in turn leads to changes from Easter. Rather than give-up or take something up for Lent should, we not have the approach that Lent is a time to discover, through prayer and Bible study, those things that need permanent change.

The readings for evening prayer yesterday (Tuesday of Holy Week) included the following:

'Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.
Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say:
"We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven"' (Lamentations 3:40-42)

'My eyes will flow unceasingly, without relief, until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees' (Lam. 3:49-50)

As Jesus draws closer to the cross, and we are confronted with the enormity of His sacrifice, we must consider afresh those sins committed which are placed on Jesus. An unexamined life is not a life at all.

In a world that is so emotion averse, or more specifically, where negative emotions are shunned we must be a people that live close to tears and joy. Jesus, reports Luke, comes to Jerusalem to joyful acclaim (Luke 19:28-40), but is immediately driven to tears when he looks upon the city (Luke 19:41ff). Do we have this attitude? Are our tears heard by God, and seen by demons? Do we weep for our sin, for the sin of our loved ones, and our nation?

Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday. Many of us will be propelled along until Easter is upon us - will we grasp the opportunity to come to the cross, stop, be quiet and resolve to submit our lives to God?