Saturday, March 20, 2021
Saturday in the Fourth Week of Lent
Alison O’Malley
The Collect
Mercifully hear our prayers, O Lord, and spare all those who confess their sins to you; that those whose consciences are accused by sin may by your merciful pardon be absolved; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Readings: Jeremiah 11:18–20, John 7:37–52 & Psalm 7:6–11
Sitting on the rocks by the beach, I write this reflection. The day is surprisingly glorious - it’s a 60° day in March. As I read and ponder the three passages two themes emerged, uncertainty and fear. These two feelings we’ve known and grown too comfortable with this last year. In big and small ways, these sensations have been with us daily. As the sun warms my skin, I can’t help but feel a sense of hope for our days, months, and years ahead. I wonder whether the glory of today would have been as glorious one year ago and wonder if perhaps the intensity of happiness and joy requires us to also comprehend the depths of fear and uncertainty.
In Jeremiah, we learn of the fear Jeremiah experiences inspired by the adversity he faced among his community. The community’s threats of harm and death caused Jeremiah to contemplate revenge. With visible fright, Jeremiah shared this wish for harm to his persecutors with Jesus. In the gospel of John, by speaking in such an impressionable manner Jesus instigates this same sense of fear among the people. The people retreated to their homes in speechlessness while the officers expressed their concern to the chief priests about what Jesus had communicated with such fervor. Lastly, in Psalm 7, David expressed anxiety of Jesus’ judgement towards Cush. “Vindicate me according to my righteousness,” the Psalm further reads, “God is a righteous judge”. With Cush’s fate in God’s hands, David fears the unknown for his comrade.
Within the passages, this sense of fear and uncertainty emanates from the character’s actions. We learn that fear can inspire revenge, fear can inspire insecurity, and fear can inspire empathy and compassion. In our daily lives, fear and uncertainty manifest in many ways. Maybe if there’s something that is certain, it’s that these two feelings are part of the human experience. It’s been a year without the weekly comfort that our communal prayer brings, a year with high-highs and low-lows, and a year in which fear and uncertainty have been paramount. As I look to the waves glistening on the horizon, it’s not fear and uncertainty in my heart, but gratitude for the joy and happiness that is only more extraordinary in reflection.