Scripture says that our first forebears made loincloths out of fig leaves to hide their shame at being found naked. Sad to say, we continue to use "fig leaves" to hide what we are ashamed of in our lives today. We've gotten quite good at it, creating facades to show the world how good and true we are. No one can even begin to discern our fig leaves hiding under the protective covering we have so carefully devised as the persona we're willing to show the world. But we know "there's something rotten in Denmark;" we know what we have buried deep within. It eats away at us until we can stand it no longer.

Lent is the season the Church provides to encourage us to search for our metaphorical fig leaves, to look deeply into our lives and see where we have "erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep," where "we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts," (BCP, p.41), and allow our hearts to be convicted by our separation from the Holy One. The Church suggests, in addition to self-examination and repentance, a variety of spiritual practices to lead us into the observance of a holy Lent; prayer, fasting, and self-denial, and by reading and meditation on God's holy Word. Over the years we have likely found some practices more useful to us than others. Mother Beth Pessah, the Chaplain at the Holy Comforter Episcopal School in Tallahassee is suggesting the students practice various Acts of Kindness drawn from a basket each day during Lent. It's up to each of us to choose disciplines that work in our own hearts.

Our psalmist for today knew how miserable it was to hide behind fig leaves and how confession makes room for God's grace to deliver us from our distress. Try reading the psalm again and notice what resonates with you. If you're not ready to "shout for joy" with the psalmist, it may mean that there is yet work to be done on your relationship with the Beloved.