Ash Wednesday is upon us, and even though many of us are unable to gather together for the imposition of ashes, we will be seeking solemn and creative ways to practice repentance. We hear the cry of Joel, ““Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.”(Joel 2:12-13a). And after the last year, we have a lot to lay on the threshing floor as we repent for all the things we have done and left undone. Repentance is a characteristic of deep humility, a quality necessary to receive the kingdom of God, a way of living a life of self-denial and bearing one’s cross. To repent is to turn, to set your eyes upon Jesus Christ and away from the things of this world.
But why should Christians repent? All our sins have been forgiven! We live in victory! And as Wesleyan Christians, we believe we’re going on to perfection, a perfect love of God and of neighbor. What room is there for repentance in a life lived in holiness? We take our cue from the Apostle Paul:
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Our victory and justification in Christ sets us free to pursue a life of holiness, and that life is one that constantly requires a spirit of repentance as we acknowledge that we have not already obtained all this. Repentance is not only a confession of sin, it is also a confession of the deep need for God’s grace to thrive in holiness. Repentance and humility are key characteristics of holiness. We are not afraid to stand before the cross of Jesus Christ and the throne of God our Judge and cry out our deep need for grace, over and over again. No matter how sanctified or holy or perfect our love becomes in this world, we will always been in need of more grace, and God is faithful to supply.
As Christians, we strive to eliminate all willful sin from our lives. But even when we willfully sin, God is faithful to forgive the repentant heart. Because we are limited in our scope, all of us will sin out of ignorance as well. We purchase goods made by trafficked humans. Some of us benefit from systems that hold down women, minorities, the disabled, the queer. We ask God to forgive us for sins committed in ignorance, but in so doing, we ask God to shine the light of truth so that we will be transformed to see hidden sins so we can stop committing them.
I was particularly drawn to this lesser known hymn of Charles Wesley. I love the reflection on penitence, the spirit of contrition, and the ultimate hope that comes when the heart of stone is broken open. I hope you enjoy my visual reflection on the hymn, and find yourself forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.