Thursday 29 May 2008

Background

The nation of Israel is shattered and its territory occupied bya succession of foreign military powers. Many of its people arescattered and displaced. A significant number are in exile. How onearth are God's chosen people to make sense of this livingnightmare? What does the future hold if not more misery andpain?

In the midst of this catastrophic process hope is but a flickeringflame in the imaginations of a few resolute individuals. The booksof the prophets, like here in Isaiah, give us an insight into howthese visionaries refused to give up hope. We see how, through thefire of their imaginations and their absolute trust in God'sfaithful presence, a broken people were inspired andreformed.

There is considerable irony here. In the depths of this disasterany talk of peace, good news, salvation and most surreal of all,the proclamation that "Your God reigns" (verse 7) seems not justill-timed but hurtful. It is all so far from reality on the ground,which is marked by failure, grief and discontent, not least withGod. Within a couple of generations many exiles were assimilatingthemselves into Babylonian society. In this context the task ofholding onto the faith identity of the Jewish nation became evermore difficult.

This is why Isaiah introduces the powerful poetic metaphor ofhomecoming. All the resources of their faith history are deployedto re-imagine a very different future for the Babylonian Jews. Theyhave within their grasp the means of returning to a renewedcovenant relationship with God. This holds open the possibility ofreturning home to Jerusalem itself. The task of the prophet is nowto ignite this desire and channel the energy of the people towardsthe goal of home.

So the invitation is to look for signs of this homecoming movementas though one were looking out for the first signs of spring. Thepeople are encouraged to look for God's saving activity and toshare what they see. The memory of what God has done in theirhistory conditions their refreshed expectancy now. Little bylittle, their faith is energised and their trust in God's love forthem grows.

They are coming home.

To Ponder

Where do you see God's love at work "in plainsight"?

The sentinels lift up their voices and givetestimony. What about you?

What different future do you hopefully imaginefor the Church? What faith resources do we need to get there?