Let Them Return

In the book, "Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a time of Climate Crisis" the introduction to this book of essays asks when to remember when we had the realization that the world isn't going to be OK. They called it the, "O Crap!" moment. It may have come early believing the scientists who have been pretty consistent over the past 50 years, it may have been a disaster like Hurricane Katrina, forest fire, the wiping out of of a species, or the lack of fortitude of our leaders who promise to address this and end up doing nothing. In our book discussion, in our discussions during our Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light group, or in our ministerial lectionary study, we do not have hope or a plan that what is happening and what is coming can be avoided. We can only work and strive to avert the most damaging effects and adapt the best we can to what is coming. 

So what do we do, what can we do? The simple and awful answer is not enough. The better answer is we do what we can, when we can, and look for the opportunities in which we can magnify our efforts of our community, our state, our nation, and God's world. 

The book of Isaiah covers about 200 years of Israel's history, from about 733 BCE when Kind Uzziah died to past 539 BCE when Cyrus, the Persian king, defeated Babylon and allowed the Jews to return to Judah. The first 39 chapters happen in the first 30 years, then there is a jump to Cyrus, as God's instrument, bringing the people home. We are familiar with call, "In the wilderness, prepare the way of the LORD!" in chapter 40 to urge people to return home. Here in chapter 55, we have the end of 2nd Isaiah saying there will be abundance when they come back. Chapters 55-66, is encouragement when they returned home back to Jerusalem and they now have to start rebuilding. When Isaiah starts out, the nation of Judah was experiencing prosperity and security. However, the prophet warns them that they are focusing on the wrong things: wealth, power, and prestige. AND because they are focusing on those things, they are missing out on the greater things of justice, peace, and taking care of the least of these. Isaiah warns them of a coming disaster in the form of stronger nations. The first threat Assyria, makes it to the gate, but Jerusalem is not conquered, but leaves them much diminished. The second threat, Babylon shows up 120 years later and conquers them, destroys the Temple and hauls them all away. After another 50 years, Persia rises up and overthrows Babylon and allows the Jews to return home, and their leader Cyrus even supplies what they need to rebuild their city and temple. If we read the Old Testament and see it as a whole, we will see the journey of a couple called to follow God, them growing into a strong people, who then become a nation. And as a nation, they rise up, only to fall. After the fall, God picks them up to dust them off to be the light to the nations that the world needs. 

Under Babylon they have been away from Jerusalem and their homes for about 50 years, maybe some of them are still around who remember their house, their town, and where they came from. Right now, in Isaiah, they live in slavery and poverty. To this, the prophet proclaims a feast, wine and milk and bread without price. Waters that will refresh and renew. 

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? We are the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, the United States of America, but we are far from the healthiest nation and far from the happiest. There is enough food in our world so that no one, not one single person has to go hungry. Do we have enough so everyone can have a 5 bedroom, 3 stall garage house? Of course not. Do we have enough so everyone can be a millionaire or a billionaire? Of course not. But we have enough where everyone can have a home, an education, and health care, if we just focus on something other than wealth, power, and prestige. And our race/desire/craving to have more, it is really a sickness, even wickedness, leads us to the path of destruction. It is not a more powerful nation that is rising up, it is the earth itself.

If we look to just the next decades in this century, we will keep having these "Oh Crap!" moments. But if we can get past ourselves, return to the LORD that focuses on justice for the earth and all life, justice for those who are contributing the least to our global climate crisis, but already paying the highest price. If we can focus on peace, rather than spending $800 billion a year on our military and take much of that money to spend on building up, feeding, educating, and creating relationships with bonds that last generations. If we can make compassion for the poor, the stranger, the foreigner, the enemy, and the guilty our highest aim and let go of the fear, then we may return. We may return to God's kindom where all nations live in harmony, where all are secure, and all life on this planet may have the opportunity to give our Creator glory and praise. 200 years from now, what will history say about us and our generation? That we ignored the voice that calls us to change our ways, repent our foolishness, and return to God's kindom, or that we rose up and did what we could to heal ourselves and this planet?

There are things we can do as individuals, as families, and as a community to live into a new world. Lots of information on how to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Our community has raised its voice both here in Grand Marais and in Cook County by passing the Global Climate Emergency resolutions and working on plans to reduce our carbon footprints. We need to do what we can to bring that urgency and pressure to the state which has a $9 billion surplus in which we can do some amazing things to thwart the coming disaster, and keep pressuring our federal government and big businesses that we can't wait anymore. I know many of us in our church and community are working on this. Our efforts are not futile, are actions are not worthless, and our vision of a better world is not a fairy tale, for we work with the God who made all things and works to heal and make all things new. Amen?