Leadership gurus say that if you want to inspire change, “start with why.” Why is it important? Why does it matter? Why should anyone care?
In today’s first reading, the prophet Joel lays out his “why” to the people of Judah who were on the brink of a disaster. The land’s food supply was being decimated by locusts that had ravaged the meager harvest brought on by drought. Still, the people continued with their lives, ignoring the catastrophic signs.
This Lent, may we be motivated by something more than a crisis-induced temporary change in lifestyle . Together, let us turn to God who calls us to conversion of heart, and that will change everything.
Joel saw they needed to change, and quickly, but not just to get through famine. That “why” made change an individual and temporary effort. Once the crisis had passed, life could get back to “normal.” The prophet saw a greater urgency—not individual survival but communal salvation. The reason people had to change was to restore their relationship with God and with one another. If they returned to God together, heeding the call to gather, they could face any turmoil as a people of faith in God who was gracious and merciful, slow to anger and rich in kindness.
What is your “why” for change this Lent? Personal improvement, obligation, self-promotion, or fear? May we be motivated by something more than a crisis-induced temporary change in lifestyle. Together, let us turn to God who calls us to conversion of heart, and that will change everything.
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