Restoration

 I believe that it was Yogi Berra, the New York Yankee's manager, who was quoted as saying, "Nostalgia ain't was it used to be."

When I lived in Aberdeen, at Kileen's coffee house, there was a regular gathering of musicians, mostly retired folk, on Tuesday afternoons who would do a jam bringing their instruments. Most of them were retired, one was retired Air Force, when we were talking about the world and its problems and he remarked, "I wish we could go back to the 1950's without all of the racism." It was also an era of history that was the height of the U.S.S.R.'s power and the Communist revolution in China that starved millions of Chinese and didn't allow women to have credit cards or bank accounts without their fathers' or husbands' permission, and, and, and, and.. Nostalgia is remembering when things were good for you, your family, and your group, and forgetting or not caring what was happening with or to other people. 

What is happening in our story today of 2 Kings is not one of nostalgia. It is a remembering or discovering of what once was and the desire to bring those practices, those worldviews, and the covenant back into their current time and place. After our story a month ago about the splitting of the North and South Kingdoms of Israel during the reign of King Solomon's son, King Rehoboam, we are about two hundred years later. In this passage of time, the nation of Judah, the Southern kingdom, had forgot much about its origins and, most importantly, its relationship, its covenant with God. It seems that its religious practices were very polytheistic and the God of Israel was one of many without being particularly special. The Torah was lost in the basement somewhere amongst all the other traditions discarded as the nation of Judah moved forward. 

However, it wasn't just the religious practices that were 'forgotten' if you read King Josiah's contemporary the prophet Isaiah, who accused Judah and the people of Israel time and time again of trampling on the widow, the poor, the orphan, and not giving justice to the weak and oppressed. So King Josiah just didn't rend his clothes because the nation wasn't worshipping correctly, it was because they have forgotten to love God with all their heart, their soul, their mind, and their strength and to love their neighbors as themselves. To do justice, love kindness, and act humbly as the prophet Micah put it.

There are many groups in our nation and around the world who are seeking power so they can be gods full of power, wealth, and to trample on others without any regard. This isn't healthy and never has been for our relationship with God, each other, and the world around us. There are more groups in our nation and around the world who are seeking a restoration of a long forgotten covenant that all people are created equal and loved by God, that trampling on others is not a sign of strength, but of weakness, and that a threat of injustice to anyone, is a threat of injustice to everyone. 

With the Spirit to guide us, we can restore our relationship with God, not just for us, but for everyone. We can remember that Jesus came to save the world and all who are in it, not condemn it. We can proclaim the love of God to all people and the world itself. We can continue to work for justice and we can strive to love our enemies. Doesn't mean we go back, it means we bring to the present the love of God and walk the path of peace, justice, and love. Amen.