Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Put on sackcloth and lament, you priests;
wail, you ministers of the altar.
Come, pass the night in sackcloth,
you ministers of my God!
Grain-offering and drink-offering
are withheld from the house of your God.”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, December 11, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Yesterday I wrote about war. About the devastation wrought upon Palestine, Ukraine, and other places. I want to say unequivocally that at no point are such situations punishment by God for the failure of the people to be “good enough.” Israel’s sins of failing to do justice for those who were poor and powerless are what multiple prophets warned them would result in their destruction by other empires. In our modern context, these same failures do lead to war, but not as God’s punishment. Instead they are a natural consequence of the ridiculous concentration of wealth and power into the hands of a tiny portion of the population. Those wealthy and powerful who are ultimately causing wars to happen are the least likely to be adversely affected by those wars. So it’s ridiculous to say that they’re being punished for the actions or failure to act. They’re actually being rewarded for it. And yet, how to make them own their culpability? Why won’t God punish them in some way? Honestly, it is something I do not understand, and it makes me so very sad. I appreciate those who are working for justice—and there are many. I try not to be overly cynical or drift into despair. Perhaps we all ought to be putting on sackcloth and lamenting on behalf of those who suffer. I don’t know. May God help us discern how we might bring about God’s justice in our world.
Do I believe there will ever be an end to massive wealth and power inequality and all the horrible outcomes it creates? Where do I see God in this?
