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All you Trekies out there will recognize the Vulcan salute and blessing. Mr. Spock would raise his right hand, fingers spread in the middle, thumb extended.
Some contend that the hand sign represents the Hebrew letter “Shin,” which is the first letter of the word Shaddai. El Shaddai is one of the names of God in the Old Testament, roughly translated “God Almighty.” If so, then we have a unique crossing of cultures, and a blending of benedictions. One web site suggests that this was a hand sign used by ancient Hebrew priests, although I do not find it in the Bible.
(How to Do the Vulcan Salute | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5024821_vulcan-salute.html#ixzz11ttzOstU)
Lifting up the gesture Mr. Spock would offer the Vulcan salutation: “Live long and prosper.” Occasionally he would say “Live well and prosper.” After having come through some adventure, some struggle against evil, Spock would affirm the reason for the struggle: that we might live well, that life might be good.
The prophet Jeremiah speaks God’s intention for the people of Judah during their time of exile in our reading this morning from Jeremiah 29. It is from a letter written in the beginning of the 6th Century, B.C.E. to the first wave of people sent into Exile by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II. Jeremiah writes:
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the god of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. Jer. 29:4-7
As Mr. Spock wishes for others, so we find Jeremiah proclaiming to people in exile: Raise families. Grow gardens and eat the produce. Build houses. Work and pray for the welfare of the cities in which you are resident; in the welfare of those cities you will find your welfare. Live well and prosper!
Even in the idle of the most difficult circumstances we discover the intention of God: Life is not meant to be a test or a trial, but a gift. It is an extension of God’s blessing of creation in the first chapter of Genesis. There is God’s original blessing on all living things: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” (Gen. 1:22, 28) What does God want for us? It is clear. Life should be lived, rejoiced in, celebrated. God desires that we build communities, raise families, rejoice in the goodness of life, and give thanks.
What is remarkable about this passage from Jeremiah, is that it is written for people who are experiencing great struggle and hardship. It is not written to those for whom life is easy and for whom circumstances are good. It is written for people in the going through difficult and even tragic times.
Babylonia had cracked down on political dissent in Judah. A minor rebellion that took place in 597 B.C.E. was crushed. The leading citizens, artisans, even the King were taken from their homes and forcefully relocated to cities in Babylonia. They were forced to live as refugees and exiles in a foreign land. In the middle of their fear and grief, they wondered what would happen now? Had God abandoned them? Would they survive at all?
There were different responses. One false prophet named Hananiah predicted an early end to their time of exiles, proclaiming that it would be just s few short years. They were not to worry; things were not as bad as they seemed. Jeremiah denounced that as a denial of reality and a false promise, a hope that would fail them. Rather he said that the exile would go on for a long time. They were to prepare to survive what would be an extended ordeal.
But Jeremiah also proclaimed to them that life was to go on. They were not to give in to despair, or give up on life. Rather they were to live and thrive where they found themselves. God would be with them carrying them through the struggle. Life was still worth living. God would see them through.
The amazing result of this was that the people of Judah and Israel were able to survive the destruction of their land and the periods of exile. Their culture, their identity, their way of life as God’s people is one of the very few ever to survive these kinds of harsh and destructive periods of history.
We do live in a time in which many people are experiencing something of their own periods of exile. The economic recession is continuing. High levels of unemployment will continue for a while. People have lost their homes. Many people over 50 have lost jobs and are beginning to think that they may never find work again. People in their 20’s are wondering if they will ever be able to find employment or earn enough to live on their own. We find ourselves in difficult circumstances that we did not choose, and wonder if there is hope of return to a normal way of life.
Some in our congregation have left their home countries to settle in the United States. Some by choice. Many because of circumstances. Some have come from West Africa, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, some from Vietnam, driven away by the violence of civil war. Some came with little or nothing except a few suitcases, wondering what would happen, or how they would survive. They tell remarkable stories of how they clung to the hand of God, who was their source of strength and hope. They praise God that life did become good. They did manage, with God’s help, to continue, to go on, to survive and even flourish!
Some of us go through other kinds of exile, experiences in which we know everything has changed. For some it involves the loss of a loved one, or the breaking up of a family, an illness, and accident. In the middle of the pain and grief, we wonder if life will return to normalcy. We wonder if we will find real joy again.
What do we do in those times, those periods of struggle and exile? How might we
come through them well and whole? When I reflect on this passage from Jeremiah, and what I have learned from those who have survived periods of exile, there are a few suggestions come to mind.
First, denial is not a good survival strategy. The false prophet Hananiah was very wrong. The struggles, the difficulties, the dislocation, the pain, the grief, the fear, are all too real. We cannot, and should not minimize the reality we face. There may be a brief period in which what has happened is too much to accept or absorb all at once. That is true and okay. But at some point we need to acknowledge what is real. This is where we are. This is what things are like. This is where we find ourselves.
Second, and this is not from the passage, but is important: get the help that is needed. Find and build a network of support. Accept the help of friends, family, church. If the issue is medical: get ye to the doctor. If emotional or family issues are involved, perhaps counseling is necessary. Asking for and getting help is a sign of strength, and not weakness. We do not come through these times alone. We do it together.
Third, this is included something rooted in Jeremiah: remember to live! Even though things may not be as we wish, even though things may be difficult and hard, remember that life still is good. Even though things may never be exactly the same, even though we may not be where we want to be, and may not have chosen to be where we are, joy is still a possibility. We are still called to raise our families, plant our gardens, build our homes, and contribute to the well being of the community in which we find ourselves!
There is an old story about a monk who found himself being chased by Tigers. He ran and ran until he came to the edge of a cliff. The tigers still came after him. He climbed down the cliff to a small ledge and sat there. The tigers were above him snarling. He then looked down and saw more tigers circling below him. He was trapped. He also noticed that there was a strawberry bush on the ledge from which grew one luscious strawberry. The question is: what should he do? What would you do?
The answer: eat the strawberry! Even in the most difficult circumstance, there are strawberries to be picked. We are more than our circumstances and there is more to life than the struggles we face.
The loss, grief, sadness, anger are real, but they do not define us. They do not own us. There is more to us. There is more to God.
It is as someone else has said: “Christian maturity means putting one foot in front of another, remembering God is no less present in darkness than deliverance.” (http://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20071008JJ.shtml)
And we do not know the good that God may build even from the stuff of our struggles.
I knew a man who was a self-employed painter. One day he fell while on a job and broke his leg in several places. He had no medical insurance. He had no salary coming in. He did not know what would happen to him or how he would get through it. I remember sitting with him in the hospital wondering what would come next. Well, a neighbor, a lovely woman, stepped in to help him out. She helped with meals, with cleaning. She sat with him watching television at night. Finally, they fell in love, got married. Now they are delightfully happy, running two small and successful businesses. We never know what may develop. We often do not know what God good God can build even through periods of exile.
Jeremiah has even more to say to those who were in exile. A little further in the text Jeremiah offers powerful words of hope from God to those in exile, and to us:
“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope” (29:11).
This is what God has in mind for all who look to God, and perhaps even fro those who do not yet know how to do that. God’s dream, Gods vision for life, for us, is that our lives be fruitful. God’s intention is for all life to flourish.
What is God’s word to those in exile: as we draw near to God, live, flourish, embrace life! And contribute to the welfare of those around us; for we are in this together.
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