Friday in the First Week of Lent

Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)


When I think of someone approaching to ask for mercy, what I usually picture is that person bent down, with head bowed, approaching tentatively, in a classic "humble suppliant" posture. Asking for mercy, for compassion, for forgiveness, is hard, it requires of us that we admit that we're wrong -- something a lot of us don't like to do -- and it requires of us that we admit we have no control over whether the other will forgive or not -- something a lot of us like even less. Admitting our own weakness and the other's strength is a dicey thing for a lot of us; and it's something we feel, perhaps, we can best accomplish if we pose the part, adopting a humble tentativeness. And the pose is all the more genuine when we feel an actual fear that the other may not forgive, may not answer our approach with mercy -- and there's nothing we can do about that.


But the Letter to the Hebrews says we should approach God's throne of grace with boldness. Not with heads bowed and backs bent, not like abject suppliants, but with boldness. In the verses preceding, the author has pointed out that Jesus, our high priest in the rite of forgiveness, has been tempted in every way as we are, so he knows how hard it is to be human, and he therefore feels with us as we feel the need for mercy and grace. We do not need to beg from Christ something Christ is unwilling to give; therefore, when we approach his throne of grace, we do not need to come as fearful, tentative suppliants; we come as sisters and brothers. We can be unafraid to approach, because the mercy we seek is already evident in the invitation to come. We can approach with boldness.


Self-examination and repentance -- really looking at our own weaknesses and failures -- is one of the traditional spiritual disciplines of Lent. Psychologically, it's easy to expect that such an uncompromising look at our darker sides could make us cringe a little, bow our heads, draw into ourselves to make sure no one else sees that weakness. But the counsel of Hebrews is to stand up straight, to admit the truth without fear, to be bold in accepting who and what we really are, good and bad -- because in that acceptance is also revealed the acceptance of the one who has gone through what we go through, and who offers grace to help in time of need. The grace to transcend our failures and take them up into new possibilities for greater good can only come to those who are bold enough to ask with confidence.


This Lent, be bold.