"Tear"

Tear your hearts, not your clothes. Return to the LORD your God. He is merciful and compassionate, patient, and always ready to forgive and to change his plans about disaster.  Joel 2:13 (GWT)

The most frequently asked question regarding the season of Lent is simply, "What are you giving up?"  It is an admirable question.  Lent, after all, is a time of introspection, reflection, and drawing close to God.  The idea of giving something up finds merit when "things" cloud out the voice of God.  Truth be told, all of us can place our fingers on those things that deflect our time and energy from our relationship with the Father.

In this passage of Scripture from the Old Testament, Joel is speaking from the context of a natural disaster.  A plague of locusts has devoured the land (Joel 1).  This is a real, physical problem that has crippled the land.  A very physical threat has left a devastating physical impact.  With the land ravaged, food is scarce.  Crops that were a source of income for families are gone.  Real problems.  Real results.  Real pain.  Israel needs help.  They need the rains to come and once again bring life out of barreness.

Joel, however sees another issue at work.  This physical problem underscores a deeper, spiritual concern.  In the same way as the land has been devasted by locusts, Joel forsees a time when Israel will face the consequences of ignoring the ways of God.  Spiritual waywardness has caused a spiritual drought, leading to a spiritual barreness of the heart.  Just like a physical rain was needed for the crops, a spiritual rain was needed for the soul.

Joel's answer was to "tear your hearts, not your clothes."  In Old Testament times, the tearing of one's clothes was a sign of deep remorse, sorrow and grief.  After the defeat of the Israelites at Ai due to Israel's sin, Joshua did this exact thing (Joshua 7:6).  The word translated "tear" or "rend" (kawrah) means to tear apart, split assunder, tear to pieces.  You get the idea.  You may understand why the tearing of one's clothes was a sign of remorse.  It is a powerful demostration.

And here lies the real issue with Lent.  We are so good with the physical outward expressions of worship.  We sing, pray, give in the offering, do our religous duties.  In Lent, we give up habits or give up things that are unhealthy.  In truth, Lent should force us to confront ourselves and make necessary adjustments. The real focus, however, should be on the heart, where we sometimes restrict God.  It is in the walled citadel of the heart where we need attention the most.  When we "tear to pieces" our hearts.  God has unhindered access.  We then find the spiritual rain for our spiritual barreness.

In Lent, we do the things that bring us to the heart of God.  So, maybe it is not only what you are giving up, but what you are adding.  Give up TV, FB, or internet?  Use the time for Bible reading or prayer.  Give up food?  Feed the hungry or donate money to an organization that helps the hungry and the homeless.  True repentance and sorrow does not stop with the physical demostrations.  A physical cure does not address a spiritual need.  It is in confronting who we are before God's holiness that brings meaning and purpose to the season of Lent.  Draw close to Him.  He is waiting.  Be ready... looks like rain.