Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

Psalm 61 • Jeremiah 2:1-13 • Romans 1:16-25 • John 4:43-54

In today’s Old Testament reading, God is angry because the Israelites have rejected the rich land he brought them to, choosing instead to seek “that which does not profit.” He laments, “My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”

Broken cisterns. Where are the broken cisterns in our lives? Have we coped with loss, fear, or conflict by adopting attitudes and behaviors that seem to offer relief—yet, with time, only serve to keep us separate? Some of us have done this by:

• remaining estranged from family or friends instead of asking God for the words that might begin a conversation;

• using food or alcohol in a way that interferes with the rest of our lives, unwilling to believe that by releasing those bonds we could soar;

• staying in a job that draws on none of the talents, skills, or dreams God has given us;

• relying on material possessions to assure us of our worth, ignoring the riches God holds out in less alluring—but more precious—forms; and

• enabling a loved one to continue abusing alcohol or drugs instead of learning how good it feels to walk without crutches.

Robert Frost wrote, “The best way out is always through.” It is—but it’s a journey best made without broken cisterns. Put them aside. Step into God’s living waters. Let them carry you.

Barbara Nordin