Plague Journal (69): A time of sorrow

There are those who say, "Silence is not an option." 

There are others who can find no other option.

For me, this is overwhelmingly a time of sorrow.

For me, it is difficult even to consider speaking on this dire moment in our nation's history. I commend those who have the wherewithal to speak, to make sense of it. But even the best "explainers" see only in part, and know only in part. And when they have had their say, there is still the sorrow.

I want the rioting and violence to end, but I do not want to go back to the old normal. Whatever the way forward may be, the way back is closed to us.

The chattering classes chatter, the politicians politic, and the proverbial public square has been overrun by rioters. 

Will we as a nation rise to this occasion wisely? For wisdom is surely what we need. But our history does not prompt optimism. 

I feel like we are looking into the abyss. I feel like great evil, great ongoing systemic evil, has now produced its bitter fruit.

At the same time many of us, most of us, constructed our little worlds in such a way that we could pretend it did not exist. 

But no one can any longer pretend. We can't pretend that this ongoing systemic evil of racism was not real, was not our ancient enemy, having its way, like a cancer in the body that we had ignored and left untreated for too long.

Help us, Lord. We need you now. Our sin has mounted to the heavens, and we have been found out. 

What shall we do? Where shall we go? What words shall we say? 

We are not a Shining City on a hill? Our leaders work only for their own gain. Long years of fear have provoked anger, and more than anger. "What happens to a dream deferred?"

Many times God said to Israel, Your burnt offerings, your songs of worship, mean nothing to me, less than nothing, while there is no justice.

Take away from me the noise of song;

to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

But let justice roll down like waters,

and righteousness like an overflowing stream.

Amos 5:23-24

God does not call his children to resignation in the face of evil. He calls them to battle. But He also calls them to repentance, because more often than not the evil is within us as well as out there.

But for now . . . for now He calls us to weep.