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We are living in the midst of great stress and worry.  Diane’s sermon on November 14th addressed the ongoing stress of living and working with COVID;  that  same weekend COP26 ended with compromise rather than solid deadlines, and this past week BC was devastated with an Atmospheric River destroying at least three communities, displacing people and animals, creating a provincial state of emergency.   How does our Christian tradition help us respond and act to the very real threats of climate change and pandemics? The Hebrew and Greek Scriptures were written at a time when people were obsessed with the end of the world. 2 Thessalonians, for example, tells us of a group of people who threw their hands in the air and said, well the end of the world is coming, it is useless to do any work. Paul’s response to them was to say, no, regardless of what’s happening in the world, you must keep on being faithful. Now, more than ever is the time for this.

      Brothers and sisters don’t get discouraged in doing what is right. – 2 Thessalonians 3:14

The prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures also faced a world ending when the Israelite people were captured and sent off to exile. The prophets used descriptive apocalyptic language to call their people into lament and repentance. They were not afraid to tell the truth, to speak against the status quo and to call the principalities and powers into account.

 Anger, grief, and lament can be powerful tools for change, especially when used in community.
But the prophets never leave it there. They juxtapose their visions of violence and destruction with visions of peace and healing for the whole community of creation. The visions of hope and peace live alongside the visions of violence and grief because the prophets are aware that there is another way to live. The prophets say to the people, and to all creation, it doesn’t have to be this way. There is still time to make a change. Here is God’s vision for what the world could be.
In Joel 2, the prophet addresses the land, the animals, and the people of Israel saying “Don’t be afraid! The meadows will turn green, the trees will bear fruit… God will pour down abundant rain for you” (Joel 2:21-23).

We need both the visions of grief and of hope today. We need to hear that there are dire consequences to our actions, and we need the solutions and the alternative way of living to guide us towards God’s vision of healing and peace for all creation. The words of the prophets help us to be realistic about the consequences of sin and greed. They call us to grieve, and lament in community what has been lost. They help us have the words to call for transformative systemic changes, and they help us to have hope, even when it seems impossible.

These are indeed trying times. Yet, we are ever accompanied by the hopeful, healing presence of God. Our Christ-following ancestors were reminded as they worked and prayed together all those centuries ago: follow Jesus, look for the helpers and remember to give thanks. Perhaps this is all the prayer you need today, or maybe it's the start of one much longer and needier. Pray on; God welcomes and tends them all.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash