Today was my assigned day for the Lenten devotional for Hollywood UMC:
Joel 2:13
Return to the Lord, your God, for God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.
When I opened my student bible to read more about today’s passage I chuckled to myself as I read the introduction to the book of Joel: The Meaning of a Natural Disaster. It seems as if our city, our country, and our world have been trying to understand the meaning of natural disaster A LOT lately and apparently that’s not a new thing.
The book of Joel begins with a description of a locust plague, which honestly, sounds horrific. It also sounds a bit like a fire: ruined land, no more food, no more homes…all of us in Los Angeles know all too well about such devastation. And then in the second chapter Joel talks about how God didn’t need outward expressions of grief or anguish from His children at times like these. Instead, He sought their broken hearts, inward expressions of desire for healing, in order to share His love with them. And this passage reminds us that He seeks us out today, in the midst of the chaos, in the midst of the turmoil, in the midst of literal fire, for that same reason. He wants us to come back to Him for healing because He loves us.
It can be incredibly difficult to remember exactly that when we are deep in the middle of disaster. But it’s then that we need to remember it the most. And there has never been a better time to return to our God then right now, in this season of Lent, when we may be feeling the chaos more than ever. He is always there for us. Always, regardless of the fires burning around us. He is love, He is light, He is the blue skies, the rainbows, the healing we so desire. And all we have to do is remember that.
Taken in February from Club Cleon's front yard:
A rainbow peaked out as the sun set over Los Angeles
