Reflections on Jeremiah
29:1, 4-7; Psalm 66:1-11; 2 Timothy 2: 8-15; Luke 17:11-19
by the
Rev Dcn Helen B. Hanten
‘Exile’ can be expanded to include many
situations. Some examples are: separation from God, sudden loss
of resources, sudden loss of health or abilities, apathy of caring
for self, others or the environment.
The lepers who were healed in Luke’s Gospel
had been separated from society for a long time. Now they were
healed, free to enter a whole new life style without enforced
isolation. Only one among them , the one who returned to thank
Jesus for his healing, appears to be blooming in the new environment!
In the lesson from 2 Timothy we are admonished to
seek mature righteousness and not be distracted by inane discussions.
(Note: a particularly good version of this paragraph is found
in the biblical translation The Message, page 451.)
The message of God through Jeremiah is to get going.
God is still with us as God was in any former place. Apathy for
one’s surroundings, or for the whole earth and the environment
is exilic in nature. Environmentalists must not give up hope or
think their efforts toward a sustainable future don’t matter,
especially in the light of disasters that go on too long. Oil
in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico has changed lives, and for
some, hope is hard to maintain. In such cases it is especially
important to do what needs to be done, and to stay the course,
supporting the workers trying to contain the damage, both to wildlife
and to people whose homes and businesses have been affected. Idle
inane discussion doesn’t bring change. Hopefulness and careful
planning are more necessary than ever.
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