Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“For they are a rebellious people, faithless children, children who will not hear the instruction of the Lord; who say to the seers, ‘Do not see’; and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, June 16, 2023
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Speak to us smooth things. What a provocative phrase. It kicks up all the ways in which we seek to ignore our complicity in the violence and oppression that we hope to contain in places “not in my backyard.” We don’t want to be prophesied to about what is right, because if we know what is right then we are on the hook to actually do what is right, and that’s hard work. Uncomfortable work. How much easier to be spoken to of smooth things, easy things, where we can pretend there isn’t a problem or it’s not our responsibility to fix it or if we just elect the right leaders the problem will go away.
We are so lucky that God’s grace is infinite, that God knows our weaknesses and our rebelliousness and faithlessness and loves us anyway. We are so lucky that God continues to send us prophets to exhort us to action, to invite us to partner with God in the work of justice and equity. We are so lucky that God hasn’t given up on us and never will. My God open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts and stir us to action.
Do I find myself wishing to hear only “smooth things” sometimes?
