Getting it on

Isaiah 58:6-9

Is not this the fast that I choose:

to loose the bonds of injustice,

to undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover them,

and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,

and your healing shall spring up quickly;

your vindicator shall go before you,

the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

If you remove the yoke from among you,

the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,

It's sobering to realise

that our alcohol free Lent

doesn't make any difference

to the addict who has lost everything of value in life.

Or that our fasting leaves no impression

on the hungry

Our spending more time in the house of God

does not offer the homeless shelter

And our prayers do not bring about justice.

Our Lenten journey misses the mark

when we retreat into piety

and shelter in the Spirit

instead of stepping out

tentatively or boldly

on the path that God treads.

Feeding the hungry,

welcoming the homeless

speaking up for the oppressed

freeing those imprisoned

by hopelessness and depression.

Those are the tasks 

that make our Lenten journey worthwhile.

Going into those wilderness spaces

that folk endure every day

and seeing the footprints of Christ

who has travelled this way before us

and who shows us how to journey

caring for one another

sharing love and compassion

making a difference along the way.

That is what Lent requires.