Go Forth

(Image from Rockwell House)

During Lent Christians traditionally refrain from pleasures like chocolate or watching TV. Another school of thought encourages a daily positive behavior, like meditation or exercise.

Pope Francis wrote last year that we should go beyond either of these negative or positive philosophies. He called for turning the inward focus outward. Christians must battle against "the globalization of indifference" to the suffering of others. [bold added]

every Christian community is called to go out of itself and to be engaged in the life of the greater society of which it is a part, especially with the poor and those who are far away...we can help by acts of charity, reaching out to both those near and far through the Church’s many charitable organizations. Lent is a favourable time for showing this concern for others by small yet concrete signs of our belonging to the one human family.

Episcopalians just have to follow the instructions in the traditional blessing:

Go forth into the world in peace;
be of good courage;
hold fast that which is good;
render to no one evil for evil;
strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak;
help the afflicted; honour everyone;
love and serve the Lord,
rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit;
and the blessing of God the Father etc.