2 Corinthians 7.10

So...there is godly grief, which leads to salvation.
And...there is worldly grief, which produces death.

Such a stark reading for today.

What is Paul talking about?

Dr. Bernard Nathanson was the leading abortion doctor in the United States in the 1970’s. He had campaigned vigorously for the legalization of abortion and he himself had performed 60,000 abortions. He even believed his intentions were good and that he was doing a righteous thing by providing a service that guaranteed a woman’s right to control her body.   But something changed Dr. Nathanson’s point of view. It was a medical breakthrough called the ultrasound, introduced in 1976. This device literally opened a window on fetal development. The first time Nathanson saw an ultrasound in action, he was amazed. He could see a tiny throbbing heart inside the womb.  Nathanson's own heart became convicted.  He said that, from that point on, he could no longer use the more clinical word "fetus" over that of "baby".   Suddenly, everything he had been learning about the child in the womb since his entry into medicine snapped into focus. He had known what took place in the womb but somehow seeing it for the first time brought about a dramatic 180 degree change for him.  Bernard Nathanson, the leading abortion doctor in America, became convinced that human life existed within the womb from the onset of pregnancy. In an article he wrote for the New England Journal of Medicine he wrote, in abortion “we are taking life.”

I think St. Paul would say Nathanson suffered through godly grief upon seeing the beating heart of a child in the womb. His godly grief led to his own salvation.  Nathanson became a Christian and was baptized at the age of 70.  

Godly grief breaks our hearts with an awareness of the pain and suffering our choices have made.  Godly grief brings about a change for the better in us from the inside that is reflected in our actions on the outside.  

Worldy grief is very different.  Worldly grief is grief we suffer for the sake of maintaining our own selfish ways.  Worldy grief is like buying a radar detector instead of slowing down.  It is superficial, and bears no real change in us, our actions, or our view of the world around us.  It is no wonder St. Paul says worldly grief produces death.

As the Church prepares for the season of Lent, it is helpful to understand the distinction between these two griefs.  As Paul puts it, godly grief leads to repentance, which produces salvation.  Repentance is not merely apologizing for what we've done.  Repentance, literally, means "to turn around".  To repent is to turn around and return to God.  The best Biblical example of this is the parable of the Prodigal Son.  The son goes off and squanders everything his father gave him in sinful living.  Then, upon realizing his sin, he repents (literally turns his life around) and returns to his father, who receives him with an unexpected show of unconditional love and grace.  Lent is a time for we Christians to ponder our own sinfulness, repent and return to our Father.  According to Paul, true repentance begins with godly grief...so we might say that is where true Lent begins as well.

Every Lent, people consider giving up things as a sign of their repentance.  People vow to give up sweets, others give up caffeine, some sacrifice various conveniences.  A new one I've heard this year is the giving up of social media.  All of these could very well be considered vices and possibly even addictions.  But, if at the end of Lent those who gave up these things go back to them because Lent is over, then it was never an act of true repentance in the first place.  If we take Paul seriously, then we shouldn't concern ourselves with changing this or that about the way we live just for Lent.  Instead, we should be considering changes that we intend to keep permanently.   Giving up something just for Lent is the same as worldly grief.  Seeing the need to change something about yourself permanently is the result of godly grief, and that is the way to salvation.

In other words, Lent means nothing if it is not a time for Christians to be intentional about their Christianity.  Nobody cares if you are giving up sweets for Lent.  But, there are poor folks who desperately care if you begin a routine of giving up food to your local food bank.  Nobody cares if you give up social media for Lent.  But, your children care if you put down the smartphone and commit to spending actual quality time with them.  Whatever it is you're considering to give up for Lent, ask yourself, who cares that you're doing this?  If there are people who actually care that you give something up, then ask yourself why you would only do this for 6 weeks?

This Lent, take Paul's lesson on the difference between worldly grief and godly grief seriously.  Be an intentional Christian, not a temporary one.

Gracious God, merciful Lord, as we come near to the season of Lent, let us come near to your cross.  There, you bear the sins of all of us as you take our place in a most ungodly death. May your cross and suffering break open our hard hearts to see the world and our neighbor through your loving eyes.  Amen