Midweek Message: From a Distance

Psalm 10:1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? (NIV)

              I love the absolute honesty in the Book of Psalms. Whoever wrote those ancient poems certainly wore his heart on his sleeve. Psalm 10 is a good example of someone who finds it difficult to deal with the greed and injustice in his society. His complaint to God is that the rich get richer, the wicked become more powerful, and the proud are brazen about their vanity. If ever a psalm was written for our times, this one is very fitting, meaningful, and relevant.

              The psalmist’s complaint, however, is directed at God for what appears to be God’s absence in the midst of so much injustice. The ancient poet finds it difficult to see what is happening around him and that the God of his heart is doing nothing to change things. God appears to be impotent, unmoved, and distant. Evil triumphs when God is silent; good is cast aside when God does not respond. The author states that he has personally put a lot of time, commitment, and devotion into his religious belief. He is perplexed when God is inactive; he is deeply disappointed when God does not challenge or remove the evildoers.

              Sometimes I deal with the same frustration. I want things to be fair and just for everyone. I want the world to be a place that is free from fear or cruelty. I want the oppressed to be delivered and the marginalized to be accepted. I want all sorts of real godliness to be apparent in our leaders. But when these things don’t happen, I want God to come bursting into our world to set things right, to make things smooth, to restore hope, peace, and love for everyone.

              And then I remember that God has already done these things on the Cross at Calvary. Every mistake has been pinned to that tree of shame. Every sin has been nailed to Christ’s broken body. Every injustice has been impaled on Jesus. Instead of being at a distance, God has come beside us; instead of being far off, God through Christ has penetrated our unjust society and is present in our painful times.

Point to ponder

What things would I like God to change in my community, society, and the world? What am I personally doing to accomplish those changes?

Prayer: Lord God, it’s very easy for us to complain and shift the responsibility for our broken and divided world onto someone else. We forget our sinful part and ignore our unjust ways. None of us are perfect; not one of us is innocent. Challenge us to be changemakers; teach us to lovingly transform our community; encourage us to get involved. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

A Knoxville Story - Amos 6:7

Amos 6:7 Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end. (NIV)

            There’s a video of a young boy from Knoxville, Tennessee, where I live, which has gone viral with over 20 million views. In the video, the young lad is tearfully expressing to his mom that he is being relentlessly bullied in school. He wonders why this is happening and it is very hard to watch him break his heart. At one point he asks why people who are different should be treated this way. At the end of the video, he also says that things may get better one day.

            The response to the video has been overwhelming. Sports stars and celebrities have reached out to the boy and have promised to have lunch with him at school where most of the bullying takes place. News correspondents from across the nation have picked up on the story and many of them are praising the boy and his mother for having the courage to post the video on social media. A college fund has also been set up for the young lad, so that his future may be positive and strong. It’s an amazing example of how the internet can actually be a good thing; it’s a wonderful way of showing how human beings can reach out compassionately to the weak and powerless. Hopefully, those who bullied the boy will stop it and realize the error of their ways.

(You can read about the many positive responses to the video at this news link: http://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/celebrities-athletes-lawmakers-show-support-for-young-east-tennessee-boy-in-viral-video/51-498277490 )

            In today’s biblical passage from Amos, the ancient prophet is expressing God’s complaints against those who used their power, wealth, and prestige to oppress and bully the poor and powerless in their land. The message that God gives through Amos is quite stark and clear: in the time of judgment, God is coming after them first. They had been given power and authority to make things better, but they wasted that gift and used it to enrich and empower themselves. When God’s wrath was going to be visited upon the whole community, they would be the first to be punished and sent into exile. The divine message is simply this: God will show no mercy to the merciless.

            Such passages are a serious reminder for those in powerful positions that no matter how much faith they may express with their public words, if their actions bully and suppress the weak and powerless, they will be judged accordingly and punished severely.

Point to ponder

Where do I see bullying taking place in my community? What am I doing to defend the weak and speak out for the powerless?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, injustice and prejudice made You angry. Help us to sift out the intolerant and prejudicial ways within our communities which cause us to veer away from Your words and place us all under God’s judgment. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to send him a response to today’s message, please email him at Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Nativity drawings called ‘A Child is Born.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Child.