Oh, the prophets...it’s wonderful when they speak truth to someone else….a little bit different truth when they speak to us. Right?
I assume the message I gleaned from scripture hasn’t been so subtle that you missed it. That in a lot of ways, the chaos we are living in (separate from the pandemic, but highlighted by it)...inadequate health care, racial injustice, polarized politics, systemic bias...I’m kind of of the mind that those are the consequences of our own actions. Or maybe not our actions...we’re all blameless, of course….but our actions...as in the
people’s actions, American’s actions (or inactions) over decades, if not more, coming to smack us in the face. We’re struggling with how calloused people are. We’re struggling with how broken our systems are--especially the ones that are meant to serve and protect. We’re struggling with how things could have changed so much, and yet, seemingly, hardly at all. We’re struggling with even finding the root of it all...it’s a tangled mess of sin and rebellion, ignorance, and willfulness.
And I feel like the prophets of the Bible...Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah--there are a lot of them, I feel like they’re standing there saying, “we warned you.” And we’d like to rebut--you didn’t warn us!! You were talking to Israel. But really, people are people, and the types of greed, nearsightedness, and selfishness that were prevalent then are prevalent now. And the words of the prophets were true for them and they’re true for us.
You look so faithful. You look so god-fearing. You pray. You go online to worship. You pick up your Bible from time to time. But you also treat each other with disdain. You create measures of value and worth that are wholly yours and not even close to mine. I don’t want your show of piety!!! I’m not going to reward you for hardheartedness, or mercilessness, or callousness. I have taught you to be better. I expect you to do better.
The words of the prophets, or rather, the words of God through the prophets are hard to hear. We don’t want to be responsible for the problems of this world. We want to know we’ve gotten it right and they dare to tell us we haven’t. But I think we need to sit with their words. I think we need to sit with their reproach, especially as we sit comfortably on this World Communion Sunday and dare to look at ourselves in light of others around the world. When we know there are millions without access to clean drinking water, who don’t have access to even basic education, when people are 20, or 30, or even 40 and have never seen a doctor or a dentist, that should be a red flag for us...things are not right...this is not what God intended. And yes, we have some responsibility to bear.
AND...there’s hope. The prophets don’t just speak judgment or condemnation, they also speak hope...there’s a way to get it right.
God says, What I want from you is a way of life that requires some elbow grease, and gets you a little grungy and dirty. And, it will require some sacrifice. If you’re a boss--you have to treat your employees with respect. If you see someone who is hungry, I expect you to feed them. If you see someone who doesn’t have the clothes they need...shoes that fit or a warm jacket for the weather, I expect you to help get them what they need. When your actions show your heart...the truth and earnestness of your prayers...then you’ll know I’ve heard you. The light of Christ will shine from within you. The goodness of sharing blessings will multiply and grow. You’ll be blessed. And you’ll know you’re walking in the path of righteousness. You’ll live with your own consequences...the consequences of mercy, justice, and compassion. And it will be good!
The prophets, while often disliked (or even reviled), bring Good News...they bring us the reminder of God’s call on our lives...a call to live differently...a call to live in a way where God’s kingdom comes here on earth. Where the consequences are positive...a reflection of grace in us and through us for our broken and aching world.
Thanks be to God. Amen.