ASH WEDNESDAY | May We Remember That God Invites Us to Return Again and Again

By the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings

The Prophet Joel writes to us during a time of natural disaster. A plague of locusts has invaded the land, crops have failed, fire has “devoured the pasture of the wilderness” and the waters have dried up.

Yet in the midst of it all, God invites the people to return. Even when disaster follows disaster, when it is hard to find hope, the invitation stands: We can bring our heavy hearts to God.

When Joel hears this assurance of God’s faithfulness, he gathers the people. With a blast of the trumpet, he calls young and old to come together as one, to pray, and to ask for God’s help.

Thanks to the work of Episcopal Relief & Development, Episcopalians can also come together during times of disaster and despair. Knowing that God is with us, we can pray, ask for God’s help, and mobilize to provide for God’s people.

Today, as we are called to the observance of a holy Lent, may we remember that God invites us to return again and again, heavy hearts and all.

This meditation is a part of the 2022 Lenten Meditations series. To receive the daily reflections, subscribe at episcopalrelief.org/lent.

The Rev. Gay Clark Jennings is President of the House of Deputies of The Episcopal Church