Restless restorers

James Cathcart March 04, 2022 0 0

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Isaiah 58: 1-12 (NRSVA)

58 Shout out, do not hold back!
    Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
    to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet day after day they seek me
    and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practised righteousness
    and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgements,
    they delight to draw near to God.
3 ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see?
    Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day,
    and oppress all your workers.
4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
    and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
    will not make your voice heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose,
    a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
    and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
    a day acceptable to the Lord?

6 Is not this the fast that I choose:
    to loose the bonds of injustice,
    to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
    and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
    and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
    and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
    the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
    you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

If you remove the yoke from among you,
    the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
10 if you offer your food to the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
    and your gloom be like the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
    and satisfy your needs in parched places,
    and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
    like a spring of water,
    whose waters never fail.
12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
    you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
    the restorer of streets to live in.

Think of a street you know well. It could be where you live, or work, or study, or run, or sit, or stretch your legs, or walk the dog. A place that’s a regular part of your life. A place where you have seen the seasons change. Where you have waited to meet someone. Where you have rushed because you were late or dawdled because you were early.

Think about this street and all the life that’s there. Human and non-human. Think of the people that travel it in a given day. Consider the wildlife. What is growing? What’s alive? What are the other sights and smells and sounds?

What interests you about this street? What saddens you? What do you love about this street? What do you hate about it? What do you cherish? What would you love to change?  What needs fixed or mended?

What works about this street and what doesn’t?

What is your prayer for this street?

PRAYER:

Dear God,

Help us to know the streets we walk

and help us to be restorers of streets to live in

restoring the connection with nature

restoring the harmony of community

restoring beauty and dignity,

delight and wonder.

Lord, we are restless to restore

to join in the restless restoration of your kingdom

Amen.