10 January 2006

Walter Brueggemann continues to walk us through some more insights on "the word."

The God who is the subject of the word is also the subject of transformative action in the experience of Israel. The tradition of Isaiah in its early rootage had insisted that Yahweh's decree is more powerful than alien empires. That word is rooted in God's primal intention, but it comes to fruition in concrete historical experience. As Yahweh had created the world by decree, so the history of the Near East and the life of Israel begins again by that same speech.

Sometimes I wonder if all this talk about the power of the word is really an exposition on propaganda or public relations...like political spin. That kind of thinking has to do with the fact that we see the impact of all the words of advertising and the comments about comments about other comments that it is easy to become suspicious of more words. I immediately counter my own thinking at that point by looking at the substance that is contained in the 'word.' The word from God that breaks nothing out into something was meant to create life...abundant life...diversity in life...life out of love for what is created. The world created by that kind of word from God is not the same as the way the word is used in the world to cheapen the lives of people either by treating them as objects who consume or objects that are consumed. The word of God is meant to pierce through the power of alien empires that attempt to sell us the goods of their making. Like the word that came from Isaiah, the word of God exposes the word of the empire as false...hollow...temporary...made by humans and thus no greater than the artisans that whip them up. It is very real to be silent in the face of the many words of the empire. They can sound so official and so "put together" that no other word seems to be a match. And yet, we like the Jews in exile are called out to listen again to the word that makes life begin as it has yet to be lived.

Connection: Listen to the voices around us and let us all try to discern what is a word that shines out into the future. Then let's listen for the sound of justice and mercy and loving kindness and that hope that pulls us beyond all hopefulness. It is as we are able to discern this kind of agenda within the words all around us that we will be able to make choices that lead to the new life God's word continues to lift up for us.

Come, O God, and whip us up so that we will not settle for the weakness that is so often dressed up to look like the power in our world. We pray that your word will deliver us into a new conversation for life. Amen.