| 'YHWH's Fresh Turn toward Israel" continues.
....The debt to YHWH has been satisfied, so that YHWH can on move positively toward Israel. Or it may be the hurt of exile reached deep into YHWH's pathos, touching and mobilizing unrecognized measures of love and unknown, unacknowledged depths of compassion that heretofore have been completely unavailable to Israel, and perhaps to YHWH. What is clear is that Israel's life after exile, and Israel's status as YHWH's partner after rejection, are made possible only by YHWH's inexplicable turn toward Israel. Israel imagines that the new relationships to have as YHWH's partner is in full continuity with the past relationship; yet it is completely different, now rooted in YHWH's self-investment in Israel in quite fresh ways. That is, whatever turn has occurred is a turn on the part of YHWH.
We are still hearing of the God who brings everything into being. Even after broken covenants and broken hearts - God is renewed and renews the world. Israel turns because God has already turned toward them. There is in God's turning that pulls the faithful - even when in exile - to also turn. It is like a light being turned on in the middle of darkness - it draws all things to it. This is not a turn by God that can be regulated. It is one that happens from the whirlwind that is God. Here in that inspiring action God makes old relationships - fresh and new. Therefore, the position of exile it now a position of being found - rescued - so that the life of a people can be reflective of the love of the one who claims and nurtures them. The turning is not done by God's beloved. The turning is done by the God whose love claim the people - all of us - even when there appears to be nothing worth claiming.
Connection: This God remain such a God whose love continues to be transformed and transforming. We are then moving within the realm of transformation we have not done on our own.
O God, who turns to us in all times, continue to pull us into your loving realm even as it looks and feels like something we have never experienced Surprise us again. Amen. |
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