Monday 03 March 2008

Background

Ever felt disillusioned? If so, you will know that it is anuncomfortable, sad place to be. This passage is a poetic communallament of disillusionment. After the return to Jerusalem from yearsin exile, the Jewish community expected the new beginning to be abright period. They looked forward to a high degree of communityspirit and renewed public worship. However, as the previous versesshow, instead there had been a slide into 'injustice'.

This malaise was compounded by bloodshed (v.3a, 7a), lying (v.3b)and perversion of the legal processes (v.4a, 9a, 14). A feeling ofsocial helplessness persisted and hope began to rise that God woulddo what was needed to rescue the people from a social quagmire.Meanwhile people continued to shadow box and live as in a mist.People looked for the day of the Lord and found darkness ratherthan light.

'Justice' was named by the prophet as the divine requirement andthis 'righteousness' involved right relationships between peopleand between the human network and God. This general confessionindicated a widespread longing that things should be better and inthis was honest prayer and real hope.

When we feel caught in the mire, wading through treacle andgenerally disillusioned we need to turn these depressing trendsinto prayerful hope in God. This swing in mood and aspirationprepares us for new justice to happen. The confession of ourabsolute dependence on God can be the turning point!

To Ponder

What disappointments or disillusionments do weneed to face and confess in order to set an agenda that takes usfrom bleak reality to new hope?