Then the angel who spoke with me advanced,
and another angel came out to meet him and said to him,
"Run, tell this to that young man:
People will live in Jerusalem as though in open country,
because of the multitude of men and beasts in her midst.
But I will be for her an encircling wall of fire, says the LORD,
and I will be the glory in her midst."
In the spring of the year, signs appear around the country, "Start seeing motorcycles!" As common as they are, many people still don't expect to see motorcycles, bicycles, golf carts, mechanized wheel chairs, motorized scooters, and other small vehicles on the road. And because they don't expect to see them, they don't; and people die.
It has something to do with the imagination. We can't imagine something, and so we can't see it when it happens. Who can imagine a former president of the United States tried for four separate criminal indictments despite his running again for the highest office in the land? And possibly being incarcerated? And millions of armed men and women taking to the streets in protest? And the dissolution of the Union? It's too much to imagine; it can't be happening.
Another example: only extremists in both camps saw the Civil War coming; the great majority of Americans did not believe it could happen. When war broke out, no one expected it to last four years. We realize today it could have lasted into the twentieth century. Our North American rival at the time, Mexico, has yet to recover from its civil wars.
When Jesus spoke of his being put to death, his disciples thought he was speaking hyperbole. He seemed to be getting a bit carried away by his own wild preaching. They don't crucify people for healing the sick, raising the dead, or walking on water, do they? We're Jews! Of course we argue a lot, but we don't kill our opponents.
But if people cannot imagine something as dreadful as crucifixion or civil war, they can fear it. There's an unease that causes first anxiety, then anger, and finally violence.
When the Prophet Zechariah, in today's first reading, describes the future of Jerusalem, he envisions chaos, "a multitude of men and beasts in her midst." Beasts belong in the field, and foreigners can go elsewhere! As Isaiah said, "We have walls and ramparts to protect us!"
But Zechariah saw "an encircling wall of fire," like that which guided and protected their ancestors in the Sinai desert during their escape from Egypt. You can't imagine it? Believe it!
We walk by faith and not by sight, as Saint Paul said. More often than not we cannot imagine the blessings God has in store for us; and for that reason we don't believe his Word. But we must and do.
During these troubled times, when everyone is uneasy and anxious, and many are responding with armed threats and violence, the faithful hear the Lord's promise. They study war no more; they walk the paths of reverence for their God, their enemies, and themselves. They seek God's will as they engage in processes of dialogue, discernment, and peace.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.