A month has passed since the plane crash on April 10, killed a number of Poland’s leaders including the president and his wife. As each person received news of the plane crash, a series of emotions began, and still continues today, as individuals started processing what had just happened to their country. There was a state of shock at first. No one could believe something like this would happen.

“That was a big mistake to place the most important people of the government and army in one plane,” said one girl. “I’m sure it will be changed. It has to – because it’s too irresponsible.” While most remained baffled at the 96 deaths, others needed someone to blame and pointed fingers for the first few days.

That Saturday, people gathered at the president’s palace gates to lay flowers, candles and flags. Lines flowed out of flower shops on the road near the palace. The people were filled with an overwhelming sorrow. When the President’s body was found and brought to Warsaw, thousands gathered to pay respects and to see. Some pushed through the crowds making their way as close as possible to where the body would pass through. It was almost as if they had to see it to believe all this was true.

During the long wait, the silence was occasionally broken with solemn prayers asking for God’s mercy on the people.

Poland entered a week of mourning for their president, his wife and the 94 others who died in the crash on their way to a Katyn memorial. This was one more hard blow to Poland. The week before Easter, the people mourned the death of Pope John Paul II, then they mourned the death of Christ, of those who suffered at Katyn and now, their government and leaders. “Now when people look at this tragedy, they have an opportunity to find out about a tragedy that happened 70 years ago,” said a friend as she processed the recent events.

Flags flew half-mast all over the city – at apartment complex entrances, from balconies, on the streets, everywhere. Even through a solemn cloud lingered over the city for weeks, a heightened sense of patriotism was, and is present.

The processing is not over – it will take months as campaigns have already started for new leaders to be put into place. Candles continue to burn and flags are still half-mast at the president’s palace. People still come to look at a photo memorial put in place. Further down the street is an exhibit on Katyn.

We can only hope to give encouragement to others as we process these events ourselves. We do not have the answers when our friends ask us “why?” No one knows all the answers, but we can only continue to place hope in God during this time. God knows their pain. We continue to support friends and continue to pray for wise decisions as Poland chooses new leadership.

Right now in Poland, evidence of Lent is everywhere you look. On Fat Thursday, Poles eat delicious rose marmalade-filled pastry called paczki. At the supermarkets and bazaars, they sell “palms,” bunches of dried, brightly painted straw flowers, for Palm Sunday. We see these seasonal symbols all around us, but we were interested in what lies below the surface of Lent in Poland.

The attitude towards Lent varies among our friends. At a social event, we asked some Poles their impressions regarding the importance of this season. Of seven, three didn’t observe Lent at all. The others observed it with varying degrees of interest, and six were positive that their family and friends observe it as well. Some of them view it as an obligation, or just tradition. But two of them said that they make the personal decision to observe Lent out of desire to honor the holy season.

One or two people view Lent as a time to work on yourself as a person. According to one friend, Christmas is “more significant, but Lent is more inside one’s soul.” In her words, “I think it is important to observe because one can think about one’s behavior and how it can change for better.” Another wrote, “I know that I should give up something for Lent, but I think that all year we should work on ourselves.” It is normal for people to give up meat on Fridays during the Lent. Beyond that, it seems most common for people to give up or cut back on sweets and chocolate, either on Sundays or for the 40 day period. One person even mentioned giving up television in the past.

This period leading up to Easter is very significant to many people in our lives here in Poland. Even the Poles who have no interest in Lent acknowledge its cultural importance. Keep them in your prayers as they navigate this Holy season to a better understanding of Christ’s love and sacrifice.