Day 1: Ash Wednesday is also Valentine's Day

I've had a better idea.

Instead of emailing my daily Lenten content to a hundred odd addresses in 4 batches each day throughout Lent, I've created a new blog. I'm calling it "A Lenten Blog 2018", and its address is https://dcrlent2018.blogspot.com.au. My lenten discipline this year is to each day throughout Lent post a new blog entry that comments on the bible passage and commentary for that day in the Uniting Church's bible study resource, "With Love to the World". My comment will be short, and it won't be based on much reading other than the text and the commentary in With Love to the World. Under each blog entry there will be space for comments. I invite discussion.

Here we go...

Day 1: Wednesday, 14 February, Ash Wednesday
Text: Joel 2. 1-2, 12-17

It annoys me a bit that we so easily "cherry pick" parts of a text. It's almost as though editors want to spare readers the nasty bits. I invite you to read verses 3-11 along with verses 1-2 and 12-17. Verses 1-11 are a dark prediction of the coming day of the Lord. This is no gentle admonition. While verses 1-2 form a good summary of what follows, it's also good to read the whole section to maximise the emotional impact of a ruthless, unstoppable enemy army systematically destroying the land.

It's often said that unless we understand the full horror of sin and its effects we cannot appreciate the wonder of what Christ achieved on the cross and by the Resurrection. Similarly, this text passes from the horror of the Day of the Lord with its rampaging army to the yet-again-repeated plea of God through the prophet Joel for the people to repent, to turn Godward before it is too late. And the following section, from verse 18 on, depicts God having pity on His people and saving them from the ruthless northern army.

I'm currently helping a team of people to write a simple textbook of ecotheology for Indian pastors. One of my tasks is to write a final, theological chapter. This must, of course, be about hope. In the world of climate change and the state of the world's environment hope is not easily found. So I'm glad once again that I've gone beyond the set verses to vv. 21-27. These are some of the most ecologically hope-filled verses I've ever read:
"Fear not, O land;
    be glad and rejoice,
    for the Lord has done great things!
Fear not, you beasts of the field,
    for the pastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit;
    the fig tree and vine give their full yield.
“Be glad, O children of Zion,
    and rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given the early rain for your vindication;
    he has poured down for you abundant rain,
    the early and the latter rain, as before.
“The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
    the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
I will restore to you the years
    that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
    my great army, which I sent among you.
“You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
    and praise the name of the Lord your God,
    who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
    and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame."
If the world's current travails cause humankind to turn godward then we can be grateful, and not fearful. Ash Wednesday will have become Valentine's Day!

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