For Lent 2014 year, I thought that I would try something different. It is so hard to talk about the concept of 'sin', without people getting their hackles up. I think that is because we miscommunicate what 'sin' is. To quote the A Prayer Book for Australia, Thanksgiving Number 5, 'Jesus came to save us from sin...fear and hate, all that destroys love and trust'. We sin when we act from a place of irrational fear, anger, hate, envy or when we are too busy protecting what we have from others that we forget all about other people'. Jesus tells us that the two great commandments are loving the Lord of God with all our heart, mind and soul. The second is like it, loving our neighbours as we love ourselves. In the Anglican liturgy we confess our 'sins' when we say 'We have not loved each other with our whole hearts, and our neighbours as ourselves'. This part of the liturgy is spoken out loud as a corporate group. Its power was based in public declaration in communion with others. We cannot deny that we as humans have done and continue to do terrible things to our neighbours - not loving them with the love we have for ourselves. We should remember that every time we are loving the stranger, the outsider, the sick and the marginalised - we are showing God's love in the world.

With this in mind, St. Paul's Anglican Church Ashgrove launched a social media campaign called 'Repent4lent'.

Described as:

'To be publicly ‘sorry’ about what is happening in the world today and how our public policies and attitudes effect our fellow human beings around the globe. 

Repent for Lent is a meaningful chance to confront our sins on an individual, corporate, and social level. We can't hide from our failings as humans, we must be willing to acknowledge our weaknesses and resolve to keep being transformed by the love of God.

As Christian people, we are called to speak out against injustices in our society. It is a part of our prophetic call to be people who are constantly asking questions of our government and seeking ways to preserve and celebrate human life. We were created in love, to live in love, to love and serve one another. A part of loving service is to look to the marginalised in our society and call for equality, dignity and justice in dealing with people from all walks of life.

For the sake of history, we want future generations to know that many people did not agree with how we as Australians are treating our fellow human beings around the globe. That we did not sit back in silence instead we called for change and to preserve the fundamental dignity of life.

Lent is a time of reflection and a call to change our hearts as we prepare ourselves to meet the resurrected Christ on Easter Sunday. This lent, lets look to the world around us, call for change and pray for new life to come. Now let's spread some hope that we can make a change!

Repent4Lent is calling for people to come up with their own ‘I’m sorry’ sign and post a pic of themselves to www.repent4lent.org or our Facebook page or on twitter #repent4lent or email info@repent4lent.org