Jeremiah 31:31-34
What brings you hope? This is what Jeremiah does throughout this prophecy, eleven times to be exact, "the days are surely coming..." In other words Israel is not forgotten in captivity in Babylon/Assyrian. They won't be left there forever and there are things God promises to do. Today we are introduced to something new, a new covenant, which in turn brings a new hope.
Now this is not predicting the difference between Old and New Testaments because planting that as a hope is tattoo distant. In the Old Testament when a covenant was made each side had to live up to the contract. Once it was broken it didn't exist, Israel has broken the covenant, so instead of God giving up, God through steadfast love will make a new one. A hope for the captives, you are not forgotten, you are not alone, you are not forsaken.
The days are surly coming... when there will be peace, when injustice will be gone, when people stop thinking about themselves and think of their neighbor. Their neighbors struggles, believe what is happening to them because they have cared enough to walk in their shoes. Does this not plant a hope. See words are powerful, the anti-bullying commercials have it right. We can plant hope or we can plant discord. It is a choice we make with the words we use.
Much of Jeremiah was an indictment of what the people did wrong to deserve going into exile. Eventually Jeremiah is killed because the people choose not to listen to words they don't want to hear about change, about injustice. Yet in spite of this hope is planted within the words also. So the people might heal, so they might believe in something better, so they might live.
As we wander in this wilderness of Lent how are we planting hope? The worldwide Anglican Communion started a movement for Lent called washday or #washday the byline is "One small act of loving service can change the world". People are posting pictures on twitter, there are reminders that pop up on Facebook and each time I see the ad it plants hope. Because its important to know one small act can create change and it is as simple as that. Because small acts have ripple effects just as unkind ones do. How will you plant hope this Lent?
What brings you hope? This is what Jeremiah does throughout this prophecy, eleven times to be exact, "the days are surely coming..." In other words Israel is not forgotten in captivity in Babylon/Assyrian. They won't be left there forever and there are things God promises to do. Today we are introduced to something new, a new covenant, which in turn brings a new hope.
Now this is not predicting the difference between Old and New Testaments because planting that as a hope is tattoo distant. In the Old Testament when a covenant was made each side had to live up to the contract. Once it was broken it didn't exist, Israel has broken the covenant, so instead of God giving up, God through steadfast love will make a new one. A hope for the captives, you are not forgotten, you are not alone, you are not forsaken.
The days are surly coming... when there will be peace, when injustice will be gone, when people stop thinking about themselves and think of their neighbor. Their neighbors struggles, believe what is happening to them because they have cared enough to walk in their shoes. Does this not plant a hope. See words are powerful, the anti-bullying commercials have it right. We can plant hope or we can plant discord. It is a choice we make with the words we use.
Much of Jeremiah was an indictment of what the people did wrong to deserve going into exile. Eventually Jeremiah is killed because the people choose not to listen to words they don't want to hear about change, about injustice. Yet in spite of this hope is planted within the words also. So the people might heal, so they might believe in something better, so they might live.
As we wander in this wilderness of Lent how are we planting hope? The worldwide Anglican Communion started a movement for Lent called washday or #washday the byline is "One small act of loving service can change the world". People are posting pictures on twitter, there are reminders that pop up on Facebook and each time I see the ad it plants hope. Because its important to know one small act can create change and it is as simple as that. Because small acts have ripple effects just as unkind ones do. How will you plant hope this Lent?
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