Lent Week 1 – Walking Through the Wilderness of this World
Collect for the First Sunday in Lent:
O saving God, who led your people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land: so guide us that, following our Saviour, we may walk through the wilderness of this world and be brought to the glory of the world which is to come; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen (APBA, p 483)
It seems a strange thing. To be sitting in my study, with the late afternoon sun shining, my cat Ed lying on the table with me, contented and asleep. But on this day, Shrove Tuesday 2022, I cannot be at peace.
In this part of the world we have experienced a catastrophic amount of rain. Lives have been lost. Homes destroyed. Businesses ruined. In four short days, our part of the world has received over six months worth of rain. A storm event that no one could have predicted.
There is a deep sense of mourning, and it feels very much as though I and others are ‘walking through the wilderness of this world’ with the Russian threat of nuclear war, Covid and the many other hurts and sorrows that the world faces today.
As we begin together our Lenten journey, the act of spending 40 days in the wilderness feels acutely present and near as never before.
And we travel with Christ, God’s Son, who has walked this journey before – quite alone and beset by evil.
We pray for God’s guidance and for comfort and peace for all who are suffering at this time.
I was reminded two days ago that even in the midst of a downpour, some of God’s creatures are able to find joy. A small park at the bottom of my suburban street had become a temporary lake – and some found this a boon too good to resist – see the attached picture. Thank you Tim (photographer) for the ray of sunlight!
Blessings
Ceri
