Brueggemann speaks of three literary voices that spoke to Israel when they were threatened by the Assyrian power. Today we continue with Isaiah. In the Isaiah tradition, faith is engagement with all of the distinctive practices of covenant, most particularly the practice of justice and righteousness. The alternative of unfaith is to abandon the defining marks of Yahwism, and to embrace the world of anxiety, collusion, and self-indulgence authorized and defined by Assyria. Indeed, the prophet is reductionist in insisting that these are the only two options. As a community defined by a covenant with God, this is the radical edge that makes the community stand out in the world. It is not a matter of mere ethnicity or blood lines. Rather, it is the shape of the life of the community. When justice and righteousness is visible as the character of the community, there is faithfulness - there we will see the sons and daughters of God making a mark on the world so that the world will stop and turn and look at what is new. To become nothing more than another one of the powers - no matter what the situation and no matter what will make a good excuse for being like the powers - is to live in unfaith. Though this are only two character traits of life within the Reign of God, they are quite essential because they involve the communal life of the whole - and they are very visible to all. Unfortunately for religious people we are more known by our ritual actions than the character of our lives. Connection: Though our liturgy is a vital aspect of our life and witness in the world, it is that which comes out of worship and ritual that grabs the attention of the world. When we leave our rituals and engage the world with the character announced in worship, we will make an impact on all. Guide us, O God, into the way of your Reign. You promise life and your promises never can be diminished. They become a guiding light and a strong foundation upon which we can live in new ways in a world that never seems to change. Inspire us to live boldly within your Reign of promise. Amen. |
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