Creation Justice

Dear friends in Christ,

In my garden spring has definitely sprung. The daffodils are in their last flush, the flowering plum is in full bloom, the redbuds are beginning to blossom, my Lady Banks roses will soon be covered in pale yellow flowers, and the California poppies are beginning to display their gorgeous orange flowers. Even my purple irises are getting in on the display. Elsewhere, I have onions settling in, fava beans and peas coming along nicely, and lettuce poking its head up through the earth. Every morning I take my coffee out into my garden to see what new things have bloomed, blossomed or sprouted overnight. It makes my heart glad. And according to the following reflection from The Episcopal Church’s Creation Justice ministry, this is a perfect practice for Lent. And so, in case you are looking for some end-of-lent inspiration, I offer this for your reflection.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Jane+

So often when we think of the season of Lent, we think of giving something up. Certainly some kinds of small sacrifices can be helpful, but Lent really isn’t about sacrifice for sacrifice’s sake. It is about making space for God to do the work that needs to be done in your life and in our world.

It’s helpful that Lent also coincides with the season that gardeners and growers are preparing their seed beds. Yes, there is an element of removing what is dead from last season, but there is also an element of adding things like compost that you will need for the season ahead. Lent is about preparing the soil of our hearts for that which God might want to grow within us: love, hope, faith, and justice. We began the season of Lent by looking at Isaiah 58. In this well-known passage, we hear God echoing the people’s complaint back to them. The prophet criticizes them for engaging in acts of worship that seem selfless while oppressing their workers and neglecting their loved ones. The encouragement is to “break every yoke”, an act of liberation not just for people, but for the animals that we often imagine bearing the yokes of our economic activity. Performing these acts of justice, either on behalf of people, creation, or both requires that we do the work of preparing our hearts, weeding out greed, anger, and apathy, and adding hope, compassion, and solidarity.

In Faith,

Creation Justice Ministries Team