Return to the Lord your god: Don't tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead

The prophet Joel was one of the twelve minor prophets in the Bible, and his book begins with a description of a plague of locusts that devastates everything in its path; the situation in the country was so disastrous, that the wheat fields had been destroyed and the vineyards and fig trees ravaged. In response, the prophet made a prayer to the Lord with a call to the people of God to fast and pray. The calamity became something so painful that the prophet in his book, interpreted the events as a foretaste of the day of the Lord.
When a country is hit with a catastrophe of such magnitude, the people risk to fall into famine, and the prophet's taks is to maintain the bonds of solidarity and prevent the population from becoming discouraged, and this was the spiritual work of the prophet Joel. The prophets were in ancient times the spiritual leaders par excellence: "Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint" Proverbs 29:18. In this extreme situation the wisdom of God became more necessary than ever, that is why the prophet requested that the people of Israel had to approach the Lord with a renewed heart and not simply with new words; the love of God was not enough, the good decisions that come from wisdom were necessary, God grants his wisdom to those who with humility and devotion ask for his mercy.
So then, the prophet declared the need for the fear of God so that the situation would not deteriorate even more, and the negative facts were changed:
"That is why the LORD says,
´Turn to me now, while there is time.
Give me your hearts.
Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Don't tear your clothing in your grief,
but tear your hearts instead.´
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He is eager to relent and not punish.
Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve,
sending you a blessing instead of this curse.
Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine
to the LORD your God as before" Joel 2:12-14.

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