Marked

Grieving and lamenting are old fashioned. Sarcasm and guffaws are more in style. We've become accustomed to the tinny background push button laugh that keeps TV such an amiable source of wall paper sound. Echoing off our human ceiling, it sets the tone. Pre-programmed, we forget to sort out our own emotions. "Put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done." That kinda stopped me in my tracks. Ezekiel 9 is not pleasant reading. Chosen and Marked for being compassionate. Wow. How God. I love our God who blows the whistle and says it stinks. He's got guts and He cares. His stepping into our mess and saying 'time out' is awesome, because He's declaring two things:

1. He's all about those being crushed in our callous, selfish injustice. And He doesn't go blowing horns. He just steps into History without 'raising His voice in the streets. He doesn't break the weak or crush the wounded. Instead He brings forth justice without faltering.' Don't you love the power in that phrase from Isaiah 42?

2. And that's the second point. He has power to see this thing through. He used that power in the self restraint He employed to get up on that Cross and die, breaking the power of death with it's own weapon. His power is loosed on earth today through any of us who are willing to grieve and lament - and be proactive about injustice.

So, I'm on pilgrimage. My strength is in God. My heart is firmly planted as I am placed by Him in settings where grief overwhelms me, where sorrow over the plight of those being crushed by injustice rolls over me in a Valley of Bitterness. Psalm 84 calls it Baca. How awesome that we are called to make these very valleys 'places of springs'. Living water wells up within us, we weep tears in the night, and harvest Joy as transformation takes place. No wonder we can go from strength to strength, even though overwhelmed with our own weakness! No wonder His yoke is called 'Easy'. Our God is with us, Emmanuel.