“O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angered despite the prayers of your people?”
Yesterday we heard the story of Moses and the Israelites at Meribah. He struck a rock twice, instead of proscribed dosage to the rock by God. The result? Moses doesn’t get into the promised land. The people? They’re stuck wandering around until the complaining generations die off. Then and only then are the Israelites allowed into their new territory—well, the territory they’ll conquer, promised to them by God.
Recently I wrote about the sword being in the house of David for eternity. Think about today, now. Israel is still fighting. I hear so many people talk about how the bible holds little to no relevance to today. How it’s archaic. How it’s outdated. Yet when confronted with the cries of Israelites from the past and pairing them with the cries from the Middle East in general of today? It’s apparent that scripture is still speaking to us—and we’re still asking the same questions.
How long, God?
How long will we hate one another?
How long will we feel the need to be ‘right’?
How long will we eschew relationship in favor of feeling superior?
How long will we ignore certain parts of our faith while practicing others?
How long will we sin and expect salvation?
How long will we …
The list is long and disgusting. The sins of Israel in the past are what caused the exodus to be prolonged. And they were just complaining about water! Okay, maybe an idol or two shouldn’t have been created… But still, pair the sins of those in the past with the sins of the world today. If Moses is kept from the promised land for one simple act, what hope do I have for my reward? What hope do we have for peace and love, given the way we treat each other, now? I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired of saying the same things only to be met with deaf ears. Let those who have ears listen: It is time, now.
It’s time, God.
It’s time for us to listen to one another.
It’s time for us to seek love even through division.
It’s time for us to live in holy tension.
It’s time for us to put down the sword and pick up the cross.
It’s time for us to stop pointing at other’s actions and start looking at our own.
It’s time we listened to you.
It’s been time, and for my part, I’m sorry.
Thank you for Jesus’ sacrifice. Thank you for staying with us, not giving up on us, not letting us go. When we cry out for help and you attempt to answer through someone around us, help us to hear them as your voice. In turn, help us to be that voice when it is our turn. The question is no longer ‘how long, O God?’ We know what we have done and left undone. God sent Christ to serve and save. Thanks be to God, literally. The question is now, “How can we serve?”
…and how can I start today?
Faithfully,
Fr. Sean+