13 Aug Tuesday

The city of Jerusalem is under the threat of Babylonian siege, the young king is easily swayed by his inept councillors, and everyone is in massive denial about the doom facing them. The status quo seduces everyone in the tiny Judean kingdom. The false prophets spread cheery fake news to keep the peace at any price.

Jeremiah is the lone voice, accurately reading the signs of the times and announcing God’s judgment on king and country. He is one small voice, lost in the noise, but for the fact that he brings his messages abruptly to the court. They’re not having it; he is a bother, a party crasher. A plot unfolds to do him in, and the king complies. Everyone is in on the conspiracy of silence, except for Ebed-melech, a court official and a Cushite foreigner, who comes to his rescue.

If these elements sound vaguely like what is happening today, it is because we are living through similar circumstances. Children are captives like animals at the border, the environment degrades, and we are awash in fake news. We powerlessly wring our hands, we pray, and we go on with the daily business of our lives, unaware and undisturbed by the coming doom and judgment.

We ask ourselves, “Who will rescue us?” We are neck deep in the mire of the “cistern” of our times. Who will rescue us?