Here’s one of next Sunday’s lectionary readings…
Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4
“1:1 The oracle that the prophet Habakkuk saw.
1:2 O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?
1:3 Why do you make me see wrong-doing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.
1:4 So the law becomes slack and justice never prevails. The wicked surround the righteous– therefore judgement comes forth perverted.
2:1 I will stand at my watchpost, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what he will answer concerning my complaint.
2:2 Then the LORD answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it.
2:3 For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.
2:4 Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith.”
It’s a terrifying vision of a nation that has forgotten justice. “The wicked surround the righteous”. Everything the prophet sees is wrong-doing and trouble. But later on we read that “there is still a vision”. Actually the vision must’ve already been there in chapter one, because the prophet could recognise wrongdoing when it was visible. There was a TV programme about the rise of Hitler a few days ago – and the idea of a world controlled by no other principle but the will to power scares me.
I want to say now before I forget, that poor people and excluded people still matter, treating one another right still matters, powerless people still matter, minorities still matter, and that hurting majority among us who are women still matter. Christ among us still matters. And to that end, we should maybe be thinking more of Christ beyond us and his claim upon our lives.
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Something that happens sometimes, when you’re walking from one end of the country to the other, is that you get part of the way and your confidence drains away … “I don’t think I can do it”, you say to yourself. It happens to football teams as well – what had previously been an energetic, dynamic team finds all its terrier-like qualities have vanished. The advice to Timothy is “don’t give up on this”. Encouragement is really important – actually I believe we all need it.
Prayer
Pray through the news headlines… (at this time, the Conservative Conference, flooding including the Isle of Man, Hong Kong, negotiations about a Brexit deal, dangers to the Northern Ireland peace process…)
Living God, help us to recognise in our world
the need for justice,
and the way of Christ.
Strengthen us to live by our faith.
It’s been wet, it’s been misty…
…but today has been sunny and beautiful.