What a strange combination of information is striking my brain at this moment. I'm sitting at the computer in my basement where I looked at the NY Times while I listened to the talking heads on CNBC scream about what the stock market is doing today. One was hollering that President Obama needed to inspire economic hope. As I write I can hear the White House press secretary respond to a question on that same topic. None of this provides the best sort of devotional moment to read the day's lectionary texts, but that's what I did. I get the daily lectionary emailed to me each day, and I opened that email with all these other things swirling around. (Click here to subscribe to the Daily Lectionary.)
At any rate, I opened the readings and found Isaiah 65:17-25 with its words of promise and hope. "For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice for ever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight... Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent -- its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD." And I couldn't help wondering about what faith and the church should be saying about hope in times such as these.
Very often the promises of Scripture have been so "spiritualized" that they have little contact with day to day life. But surely the story of a Savior who comes healing the sick and feeding the hungry speaks of a God who cares about our lives, and who promises more that "pie in the sky by and by." I don't mean by this that God will send the market up. I'm not a "prosperity gospel" sort of guy. But I still feel that God wants to "save" us in ways that are tangible now. Perhaps I, and maybe some of you, need to be more attentive to God's showing us where true hope is to be found in our lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment