Love & Rage, Seeds & Singing

 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you "Violence!" and you will not save? Why do you make me see wrongdoing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. [Your Torah—your Word, your Way—is failing] and justice never prevails. The wicked surround the righteous— therefore judgment comes forth perverted.  – Hab 1: 2-4

We listen in this week as Habakkuk cries out to God in rage at the way people around him are suffering.
It’s love for people that drives his rage. God, how can you let people suffer like this? It’s like we’re just fish, swept up in a net and they’re eating us for lunch! Habakkuk is angry at all these violations of his values and even goes so far as to call God a failure. And then, God responds. God reassures that although everything is hard right now, and will even get harder, everything will end well. This is the vision. God’s reign and reality might not be arriving as quickly as people would like…. But watch for it, wait for it. The end will be good, worth waiting for… it's a vision to make very clear to everyone, even those running quickly by. Habakkuk decides to do just that—hold on to trust a little while longer.
The prophet sings this song at the end of this very short booklet.

 

When I heard this message^, 

I felt weak from fear,
    and my lips quivered.
My bones seemed to melt,
    and I stumbled around.
But I will patiently wait.
Someday those vicious enemies
    will be struck by disaster.

¹⁷ Fig trees may no longer bloom,
    or vineyards produce grapes;
olive trees may be fruitless,
    and harvest time a failure;
sheep pens may be empty,
    and cattle stalls vacant—
¹⁸ but I will still celebrate
because the Lord God
    is my Savior.
¹⁹ The Lord gives me strength.
He makes my feet as sure
    as those of a deer,
and he helps me stand
    on the mountains.

It’s a vision for all the weary ones, as we run step after step in this marathon of life, and this vision is to NOT GIVE UP in God’s never-ending love, to keep faith. Although the arc of the universe seems incredibly long, we can trust God that it bends toward mercy for all those pressed down.
Oppression will cease!

In the late night on Fridays, I have been watching the series Rings of Power, an epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It takes viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads. Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. It’s hard to wait as the story slowly unfolds, but we have no choice but to wait for the next bit of story.

 

In last week’s episode, things looked just as bleak as the situation Habakkuk describes. A tiny remnant of people are trapped in a tower and enemies are close. The remnant is almost ready to give in to despair. One voice reminds them that it is worth staying together to the very end.

In another scene, humble small creatures called Harfoots are on a terribly dangerous journey and a young girl, Poppy, sings to help them along their way. It’s a song very similar to the song of trust at the end of Habakkuk.

 

Poppy sings about this trip, where they trade all they’ve known for the unknown ahead.

Of drink I have little

And food I have less

My strength tells me no

But the path demands yes

My legs are so short and the way is so long

I’ve no rest nor comfort

No comfort but song

 

Sing to me sing to me lands far away
Oh rise up and guide me this wandering day
Please promise to find me this wandering day

At last comes their answer
Through cold and through frost
That not all who wonder or wander are lost
No matter the sorrow
No matter the cost
That not all who wonder or wander are lost[1]

 

A team of leaders from Christ gathered yesterday in a Synod-led workshop called Vitality 101. We gathered on behalf of this congregation and with the hope to bring the learning to you all.
Why are you here, the Synod leaders asked and each of us responded.
I said, “Well… in spite of the fact that there are many signs of vitality at Christ on Capitol Hill, in this third year of the pandemic, we’re experiencing a serious financial crisis. Also, many people have used the pandemic as a reason to say goodbye. We miss them. We feel the loss.” Those gathered from other congregations shared that they are worried too about people who have left and what the future will bring. With Habakkuk, we cried out to God. It seems like everything is failing! Together over the next six hours, though, we remembered. We are not alone. We were able to name some of the many things that are hopeful and encouraging about ministry in this place and time. We also practiced answering the Five Whys—going deeper and deeper into the question, “Why is Christ on Capitol Hill here?” What are the values that we’re aspiring to live out here? How do we listen even more deeply because each of you is here for a reason. We want all of you to be part of this vision conversation in two weeks. 

 

The prophet Habakkuk chose faith in spite of the present challenging circumstances and we can, too.
So often, like the original followers of Jesus, we doubt we can do it. We feel like we need way more than what is already here. Jesus invites us today to remember the vision of the tiny seeds already here, already rooted, already growing. If you can’t see reason for hope quite yet… wait for it. Christ is truly present and is on the way. Like brave Habakkuk, you can place your trust in God and be part of the vision that is still coming into being. It’s so true… not all who wonder or wander are lost… and we can keep singing the vision into being all along the way.

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[1] Howard Shore and Bear Mccreary composed the song This Wandering Day for the series Rings of Power together.