Some people worry about the Lord calling them to the nether regions of Africa as a missionary. My greatest fear is being called to stay at home and tell the truth. I'm not talking about simple blogging for my friends. I'm talking about the kind of stuff that lands one in a pit of mud up to your mouth, and that's on a good day. So was the life of Jeremiah.
Oddly, I have been reading Jeremiah lately. It is not odd for me to occasionally read my Bible. It is odd because the reason I have been re-reading Jeremiah is the emergence of another Jeremiah into the news the last few weeks . . . that's Wright, Obama's preacher got me to thinking. Gosh darn him.
It occurs to me that Rev. Wright at worst may be a good object lesson for us. At best, he may be a prophet. Don't get me wrong, I am not a voice crying in the wilderness preparing the way of the prophet Jeremiah Wright. I don't know much about him. I do know that his words are provoking a lot of folks who condemned him without even for a second considering any validity in what seems to be a most profane message. But have you read Jeremiah, the one in the Bible lately? Nobody was happy with Jeremiah. He said some harsh things. Downright mean and crazy according to the folks who he was sent to by God. I believe the different translations generally say that God was going to "curse" the nations in one way or other. He was asked by God to tell Kings that kingdoms would be destroyed because of their murderous killing, greed, and lack of care for the poor, oppressed, sick and widowed. Sound familiar? Getting a little uncomfortable?
Did you hear anyone shocked by the profane, perhaps obscene language used by Rev. Wright? I was. But which is more profane, the words of a man, or the senseless killing of thousands? Which is more obscene, rough language from the pulpit, or thousands of children dying daily for lack of food, water, or basic medical care, while the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? You get the idea.
So send me to Africa. But don't you dare, God, make me try to tell the truth to my friends, my countrymen. They would quickly become no friends of mine . . .just like they did Jeremiah.
A catchy title from my dear friend’s blog. I donate 8 reasons to this blog why Jeremiah was, in fact, a bullfrog:
ReplyDelete1. “Jeremiah was a bull Frog,
Jer. 38:6, Jeremiah in the mud at the bottom of a cistern…where frogs live.
2. “He was a good friend of mine,”
Jer. 45, a word of comfort from Baruch, a friend.
3. “I never understood a single word he said…”
Jer. 2:31, 34, Footnote a in HCSB, the meaning in Hebrew uncertain.
4. “And, I helped him drink his wine,”
Jer. 25:15, “Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath…”
5. “Always had some mighty fine wine.”
Jer. 13:11, “All of the wine-jars are to be full of wine.”
6. “Sing Joy to the world”
Jer. 31:13, “I will turn mourning into joy”
7. “All the boys and girls now,”
Jer. 31:13, certainly refers to young women and young men.
8. “In the deep blue sea…”
Jer. 31:35, “who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—“
Money well spent? -T. Jones
This morning I told Kate about your boring writing. I believe I said "it is not the least bit provocative." I was wrong about this one. Did you ask yourself "What Would Jeremiah do" with an article like this? I think he would send this post to the entire church.
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