The passage begins with Hezekiah taking the actions of one who is deeply grieved (tearing his clothing) and in a state of repentance (putting on sack cloth). This happens in the book of Job and also in the book of Jonah. If you click on the Jonah link you will see it is not only humans who put on sackcloth, it is also all the animals and cows. That is a funny picture...even though I have no idea what a cow would need to repent of.
The image of repentance is one that carries a lot of baggage in the church. When I searched for pictures for the top of this post, many showed people on their knees, heartbroken, guilt-ridden, with clasped hands, and looking like they were at their wits end. At the most basic level, repentance means to make a change, even a U-Turn as the above picture shows. Sometimes as human beings we refuse to make the most basic change until the urgency to make that change has increased to such an unbearable level. Hence all the pictures of people on their knees on Google images. However, it does not need to be that way. Change can happen without being so soul stretching and straining.
Change, like its cousin repentance, is a difficult word. Change can be initiated by us, as in the case of New Year's Resolutions. Change can also be afflicted upon us as in family or friend relationships where the other person's decision has consequences for our lives we did not anticipate or ask for. And at other times, change is what we want to see/have happen for everyone else. David Sedaris says, "I haven't the foggiest idea of how to change people, but I keep a long list of people just in case I ever figure it out." Change is fine for others, but when it involves us, that is when it gets personal.
Part of the creative tension within the faith is living between the truth that God receives us and loves us as we are; and that by receiving God's unconditional love there is transformation within our life. Often we think unconditional love means love that asks nothing of us. Yet, unconditional love is such because it does not demand we change, but might inspire or awaken a change because of the way we experience of this kind of love.
Hezekiah goes through change and repentance because of coming into contact with the grace of God. Hezekiah realizes that it is not the walls he built or the army he assembled that will protect him, but God's presence, which does not mean everything will be rainbows and chocolate river...after all the people of God will still be carted off to exile.
Lent is a time of change, transformation. That is one of the reasons why butterflies and flowers are so popular at Easter. What better to represent change/transformation than a caterpillar becoming a butterfly or a seed becoming a flower. Yet, such change/transformation does not happen overnight. It takes time. Hezekiah's change takes time...the people of God wander in the wilderness for 40 years in the exodus... the people of God will be in exile for years too. While Lent is only 40 days, it offers us the chance every day to encounter the love of God that can make all the difference in our lives.
And may the traces of God's grace empower that change this Lent for you and me.
Blessings and peace
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