Dear Friends,
Each Lenten season, daily meditations remind us of our path in profound ways.
The very first evening meditation states: for the earth is now in the ashes of ruin, the sins committed since our Lord Jesus was on earth in a human body.
The reason for this condition is given–war and pestilence and unbelief; which the unevolved ego of man has created–then, the meditation ends with the promise of the atonement our Lord has already created for each of us, as we follow Him.
How can the individual make a difference as the greed and arrogance of the rich and powerful spew their gluttony across our planet? The Master has given us the roadmap in the Sermon on the Mount and the first two commandments.
Next, our second night’s meditation highlights the FACT that we live in an astounding universe, which we should gaze at with “eyes unblinking“; ignoring no longer truth and fearing no fact, ready to recast all our opinions to the glory of God.
Following this prescription is the work of a lifetime! But we must chip away often and with sincerity on our own inner wars, the pollution of our mind, and our unbelief in the goodness of each soul, including our own.
With this inner work comes the acceptance we each need of the forgiveness of the Master for our hardness of heart–the next evening’s meditation calls us to forgive without seeking forgiveness. To love and keep affection in the face of misunderstanding I vow to set my thoughts upon things I value and spend my strength in the fulfillment of noble purpose–this meditation ends with: To reverence the reverences of others rather than what they revere, which I’ve seen as looking to the God Being in each person rather than focusing on their outer desires and attitudes.
And these are just the first three evening meditations! Whew–may our inner and outer work in this world bear much fruit, in the vineyard of The Christ.
Love in Christ, Rev. Mary Anderson