In the late 1700’s when Napoleon’s forces were invading Austria, the small town of Feldkirch was getting ready to celebrate Easter day when they heard word that the French forces were just outside of the town limits. A town council was soon called to discuss what to do. One member of the council made an impassioned speech in which he said, “Brothers, it is Easter day! We have been relying too much on our own strength and not upon God’s. Let us ring the church bells, call the faithful to worship, and leave the rest of the matter in God’s hands.” Moments later, the church bells rang out in the small town and in response, people flooded out of their homes with songs and shouts, heading to worship the Risen Lord.
Out in the field, the French colonel was observing the church bells and the behavior of the people. It seemed crazy, and he could only surmise one thing: the Austrian army had arrived in the town overnight and the people felt secure that their town would be defended. The French colonel gave the order to move on to the next town and to leave this one alone.
Joel prophetically speaks to the people of Judah, telling them to “blow the horn” and to gather all of the people of God together to repent and rely upon His strength rather than their own. Our experience of Lent is one in the same. Lent reminds us to ring the church bells and to blow the horn, to gather God’s people together to rely upon His strength instead of our own.
Far too often, we as Christians try to make ourselves seem strong so that people will be attracted to the strength of the Church. But the reality is that the strength of the Church is only its reliance upon God. We are to blow the horn of our own inadequacy, to ring the church bells as a bold prayer that says we don’t have it all together ourselves. This is what is attractive to the people outside of the Church – to show that we have a God in whose hands we can leave all things. Let us blow that horn and call more to put their trust in Him rather than themselves. Amen.