Lent Series 2021 – After a year of Covid we lament

Introduction

In Advent we looked at a series of scenes based on the theme ‘The gift of a Child’. At Candlemas we gave thanks for the gift of the child Jesus as a light to the nations. Now we turn from the crib to the Cross.

During the past year many have suffered bereavement so now, during Lent, I offer a series of reflections considering loss. Whatever the age, the person remains a child to the parents.

Session 2 – Thursday 25 Feb – Wednesday 3 March

The thought of my affliction and my bitterness, the wormwood and the gall!
My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me.                         Lam 3. 9 – 20

The death of Naomi’s family – multiple bereavement             Ruth 1

Because of a famine Elimelech, his wife Naomi and their
two sons leave their home town of Bethlehem and travel
to the nearby country of Moab to settle there until things
improve. While in this foreign land the two sons find wives
from the local community, Orpah and Ruth. Elimelech dies
and leaves Naomi a widow. She mourns this loss but initially
there is no great problem because she has her sons to look after her. Then they both die and the three women are left destitute.

In this patriarchal society women relied on men to provide a home, food, security and protection. Naomi has lost everything and all she can do is return home to Bethlehem hoping that a family member will take her in. But it is not only Naomi who is left in a dire situation. Both her daughters in law have been widowed as well. For them there is hope because they are in their own country, they are young and so can go back to their families and find new husbands.

In this sequence of events Naomi suffers three bereavements in quick succession. Grief will be long and protracted and, since the first death has not been properly mourned, the grieving process may be hampered. Naomi may have been unable to acknowledge her feelings: numbness sets in. Since moving as a family into a strange land a very close bond between Elimelech, Naomi and their sons would have existed as they supported each other and sought to establish a new life in a foreign setting. The loss of the three men in her life and the knowledge that she is too old to have any more children makes Naomi particularly vulnerable: she may feel damaged, both emotionally and physically. She has lost her fundamental role, her identity, and her life may seem worthless.

Ruth entreats Naomi to allow her to accompany Naomi back to Bethlehem. In this suggestion Ruth shows great empathy and she will not accept a refusal of her proposal of help. They are both bereaved but Ruth finds the strength to walk alongside Naomi, who feels very bitter about her situation. As they make the journey they can lament together.

In accepting the offer of her daughter in law, Naomi gives support to Ruth in her bereavement. They form a strong attachment through their mutual sorrow. Together they can make a safe space in which to share feelings and they can tell each other their story. They are able to acknowledge their grief and speak about their distress. There are things that need to be said and, as their trust in each other increases, they move forward secure in their care for each other. These women offer each other consolation, kindness and encouragement. As they rebuild their lives together they find that there is goodness and reasons for hope in their world (Ruth 2). This is an example for us and gives us a pattern we can use to support each other in our present situation.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.                 Matthew 5. 5

Prayer

We praise and adore you, God, our Father.
You are the maker of all things and you sustain your creation with love.
O God, our loving Father, we ask you to strengthen
all those who have lost their home, their family,
the support of loved ones and the means of survival
as a result of the pandemic.
As they try to rebuild their lives, keep them safe
and encourage us and their new community to care for them
so that all may grow in love and trust. Amen