The prophet Jeremiah is lamenting the fate of his people. He knows that they

Transcription

1 A Balm in Gilead Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick. The prophet Jeremiah is lamenting the fate of his people. He knows that they are about to be destroyed by an invading army, that many Israelites will be killed. His heart is breaking in anticipation of their suffering. He has already cried so much that his eyes are dry. He laments, O that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people! Jeremiah had reason to cry out in grief. And, like Jeremiah, we also have reason to lament. All we have to do is read the daily paper, watch the evening news or follow on-line news feeds and we are aware of the devastation on our planet: soldiers and civilians killed in conflict, people dying from illness or hunger, ecosystems struggling to survive. In your bulletin today, you will find a recent letter from our Moderator reminding us of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and all the stories of abuse and neglect of our First Nations children. And, of course, even closer to home our families and friends are struggling with illness, grief, addiction, and the fear of crops rotting in the fields. 1

2 It is said that no prophet expressed his feelings more than Jeremiah. And that s OK. In fact, lament is good it is a part of the healing process. One of the reasons we have funerals and memorial services is to provide an opportunity for communal lament. In order to move through grief it is necessary to have opportunities to express our emotions either alone or in the company of others. But lament itself is not enough. Those of you who have dealt with a cancer diagnosis know that there are many tears at the beginning and then the work begins. With cancer the first thing the doctors have to determine is the source of the illness. Once they know the source, then they have a chance of figuring out how to make a difference in their patient s life. Jeremiah was convinced that he knew the source of his peoples pain. He believed that they were suffering because they were worshipping idols and turning their back on God. His prophesied that God was punishing the Israelites because of their hardened hearts and their false idols. I don t believe in a God of wrath, an angry God who needs to punish. Our pain is not a result of a puppeteer God who manipulates our lives. Often we suffer through no fault of our own; but sometimes we bring about the hard times in our lives by our own actions. This is true for individuals, organizations or society as a whole. 2

3 So how do we figure out the source of our pain? And once we have figured out the problem how do we begin the healing process? Anyone who has had cancer will tell us that figuring out the source can be a long, painful process and the cure, if there is one, can nearly kill you. This is true of many types of illnesses, whether they are physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual, whether they are occurring at an individual or a communal level. The healing process is not easy. Sometimes we choose to ignore the signs of illness because we know how painful the healing process can be. Many times it requires hard choices, changes of the heart, the ability to let go, and the willingness to experience pain. Why have we allowed our world to suffer the impact of climate change? Why do we allow people in Africa to die from illnesses for which there are cures and even preventative medicine? Why do we allow innocent people to die because of conflict and war? Why? Because even when we know the source of their pain, often the remedy would require change and sacrifice on our part. Carl Townsend says, All healing is first a healing of the heart. It s true that we hold the possibility of wellness for ourselves and for our world in our hearts in our ability to love, to forgive, to hold ourselves and the world with compassion. The good news is that this kind of healing is always possible. This is spiritual healing. And this is where the God of love fits into our healing path. As part of his lament, Jeremiah questioned if God was still even present in Zion, their holy city. Is the Lord not in Zion, he cried, Is her King not in her? 3

4 Of course God was there. God does not turn away from us. I believe in a God who is the essence of love. Richard Rohr describes a God who is not a being among other beings, but rather the Ground of Being itself which then flows through all beings (Richard Rohr s Daily Meditation, Sept. 15, 2016). With this understanding of God, it is not possible for the love of the Holy Spirit to be separate from us. Even when we are at our lowest point, our deepest despair, the essence of love is with us. In fact, many scholars argue that it is difficult to determine whether Jeremiah s lament is actually his words or Yahweh s words. Some argue that it is Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, who says, For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt, I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me. I believe that when we lament, God laments with us. That God feels our pain and suffers when we suffer. Jeremiah asked, Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why has the health of my people not been attended to? I would answer, Yes, there is a balm in Gilead and it is up to us to seek it out. I believe that the Ground of our Being, the essence of Love is that balm. I see God s love at work in the generosity of the people, the organizations and the countries that met this week in Montreal. I see God s love at work in The United Church as we struggle to respond to the work of the Truth & 4

5 Reconciliation Commission. I see God s love in the work of our Refugee Sponsorship Working Group and the generosity of this congregation. I see God s love in the outpouring of support that is evident every time I officiate at a funeral or memorial service in this community. God is an essential part of our healing process. It is through the healing power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to change our hearts, our minds, our emotions and make healing possible. It is through the support of the Spirit that manifests itself in friends and family that we are able to endure the pain and suffering of the healing process. It is with the hope and courage of God that we will strive to make a difference in our own lives and thus in the lives of our neighbours. Yes, there is a balm in Gilead. 5