Today as we enjoy the comfort of our church service, many people are sitting in jail cells, serving time for various crimes they have committed. This fact shocks us into a kind of stark look at the reality of judgment. Certain actions have certain consequences. That is what this day, Ash Wednesday, tells us about also. Actions have consequences.

You see, we do not like the word judgment. We say, "We live by grace." Yes, this is true. Equally true, however, is that even grace is tempered by judgment, because judgment is always corrective. God does not simply "punish" but rather corrects with a view to improving our relationship with him. This is the truth that the prophet Joel had perceived.

Joel wrote during a time of crisis in his country, ancient Israel. He could see a time when his ow…