September 6th, 20

 Life Among the Ruins

Today’s readings are II Kings 25, II Chronicles 36, Jeremiah 40 – 41, and Revelation 12.  We are reading from the New Living Translation.

And the walls came tumbling down. Their worst nightmare came true. Now they are living, if you want to call it that, among the ruins. It’s a post-apocalyptic nightmare. Their worst fears have shown up on their front door. Yet here, in the midst of this horrendous tragedy, Jeremiah, whose name means ‘appointed, raised up by God’,  remains. Somehow, Jeremiah is still there, taken out of a well where he had been left for dead. He surfaces to find that all has been lost, just as he predicted. The temple, the palace, the walls, Jerusalem – in ruins. And yet, Jeremiah is still there. 

This is the call that God has on the Church – God’s people, in a world that is coming apart at the seams, where there is war in the heavens and wrath on the streets. God has called us to such a time as this, to be faithful followers. We are to remain, as Jeremiah did – faithful, loving lights, holding to God’s amazing love and proclaiming God’s purposes and promises – even among the ruins. As brothers and sisters in Christ, like Jeremiah, Yahweh has appointed us for this time. We are called to a world that’s at war and where the walls have come down. We are here for such a time as this.

There are so many individuals who are experiencing their own private apocalypse. There are so many people desperate to be set free, who need the liberating power of the Gospel in their life. They need its strength and power to rebuild from the ruins of their life. God appointed Jeremiah and he has appointed you and me, to be his hands and feet at such a time as this, here among the ruins. We can live that life if we want to, in the power of Christ’s Spirit.

You are loved!