How long, O Lord?

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Right now it is achingly clear, heartbreakingly, angrily, clear, that we who believe that God is love and is present, is also a God who is hidden sometimes, sometimes when we are most in need.  The Psalmist cried out, "How long, O Lord, How Long!?

 

How long?

 

Too long. 

 

That seems to be the answer right now.

 

Even Jesus had a "moment."  My Lord, my Lord, why have you forsaken me?"  Why?  Why have you forsaken us?  Why have you allowed creepy, cruel, greedy, uncompassionate, destructive people to rise to power and destroy so much that is good?  Why do you let childish cosplayers blow some of your children out of the water, and blow apart schools full of children, and boast about it?  Why do you let spiritual lightweights lecture a Pope who is literally quoting you? 

 

Why do you let masked thugs throw innocents into concentration camps where they wither away?

 

Why do you let people who would plunder the planet destroy forests and rivers, and violate sacred sites?

 

Why do you let the political bullies like Putin and Netanyahu, and Trump flourish?

 

Why?  Why? Why?

 

I realize, Lord, that you are way more loving than I can ever be.

I realize that you are more patient.

I realize that you see more than I see

I realize that I, too, am a mess who does harmful things, who slides into anger and hate, greed and other destructive things.  And I am thankful that you are patient and loving, forgiving, and restorative.

 

But Lord, I struggle with those who harm and divide, who grab and devour, who rape, and have no regret.  Only a desire for more, more, more.

 

This morning, as I watched the sunrise, I rejoiced, but my joy was blurred by tears

 

Lord, I am perplexed and confused.  I am tired.

I am tired of my own stupidity

I am tired of the stupidity of those around me.

I am tired that we keep choosing poorly.

I am frustrated that you keep loving and forgiving and working to repair and restore

And we keep doing the same things we human creatures have always done

And keep getting what we have always gotten.

 

Pain, destruction, death, injustice, inequity

Hunger, poverty, war.

 

Why?

When?

How Long

How?

 

These are my prayers of desperation

There seems to be no answer

But against all hope

I believe

Two hearts notice

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A whole civilization will die tonight

People will die

Lots of people will die

Women and children will die

 

Have died

Slaughtered in their homes, their schools

We can hear the cries of the mothers and fathers

From here

 

People will die

Homes will be destroyed

Cultures erased

 

Call it what it is

Genocide

 

Why?

So, our leaders say, we can make lots of money

So that the oil will flow

So we will feel big and strong

USA, USA (and Israel too)

 

It is not all Tomahawk missiles,

And air strikes

It is Zionist settlers with bulldozers

It is the IDF, responding to violence and arresting the victims

 

It is the incarcerated being beaten and raped

Immigrant families being torn apart

People disappeared, without due process

 

It is blockades dooming people to a slow death by starvation

It is infants dying in hospitals because there is no electricity

 

And it is not just in Iran, or Lebanon, or Cuba

Not just the Gaza or the West Bank

 

It is in Minneapolis

Washington DC

Texas

Florida

Idaho

Where the ideologically extreme right has decided

Trans people don’t deserve to exist

Women should be subjugated

Poor people should be ignored

The planet should be plundered for money

 

We should not be surprised that

 

So much evil flows from Empire

We watch it happen

Every single day

 

The lies, the violence

The hate mongering, the division

 

What do we do?

Cheer? (some do)

Pretend it isn’t happening (denial is real)

Become numb, and accept it all as normal?

The ramblings of a madman, the dishonesty, the cruelty, and the greed?

 

Do we reach the point where we no longer notice?

No longer let tragedy and atrocity both us?

Where we can simply ignore a powerful white male who brags

That he can grab “them” by their…  (well, you know)

 

Or, do we allow our hearts to break?

And do we let our broken hearts become broken-open hearts (Brian McLaren’s words)

 

Do we remember that God is love

That God cares for all who suffer,

Agonizes over all those in need,

 

And remember too

That we, as those who would follow GodWithUs

As those who experience GodInUs

Should also care

 

That we should be people of compassion.

 

We should look upon the world with eyes

That see

We should approach the world with broken-open hearts

 

Our compassion should be a bridge between

The compassion of God and the pain of the world

 

When we hear of children killed

Justice denied

Victims ignored

 

When we see violence, hunger, homelessness,

Illness, loneliness, despair

All the miseries of humankind

 

When we see someone suffering,

We should say

 

“Someone is suffering, and at least two hearts in the universe notice and refuse to turn away – God’s heart, and my own.”

This stops here!

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Any God who would wander into the human condition, any God who has this thirst to pursue us, had better not be too put off by pain, for that's the way we tend to treat our saviors. Any God who tries to love us had better be ready to die for it.

William Willimon

____________________________________________________________

Sometimes it seems

as if hate is going to win

as if all that is right

all that is good

is coming to an end

 

as on that Friday so long ago

when in the heat of the afternoon

jeers echoed

lashes fell

thorns pierced

hammer blows reverberated

and love took its last breath

 

or did it?

 

perhaps love is made of tougher stuff

perhaps

just perhaps

on that day

God looked in the face of hatred

and brutality

into the face of judgement and rejection

into the face of power and wealth

 

and said

“This Stops Here”

 

and that is why we call it

Good