Staying united, rejoicing together

James Cathcart March 14, 2024 5 1

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Nehemiah 6: 10-19 (NRSVA)

10 One day when I went into the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house, he said, ‘Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, tonight they are coming to kill you.’ 11 But I said, ‘Should a man like me run away? Would a man like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!’ 12 Then I perceived and saw that God had not sent him at all, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He was hired for this purpose, to intimidate me and make me sin by acting in this way, and so they could give me a bad name, in order to taunt me. 14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.

15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem; for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. 17 Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. 18 For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. 19 Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence, and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

It’s an oddly quiet moment. A bird circles overhead, a few foxes are gradually waking up, some sand lifts and falls in the fluctuations of dusk. Despite the plots and taunts and the sabotage, it stands, the wall stands, it’s done.

Nehemiah, back on his horse like that first night not even two months ago, can see them all now, looking at the walls they have built. But he has eyes only for them. Eyes glistening with pride. They say you send a thief to catch a thief, and when he started he thought it would take a broken people to rebuild this broken wall — but really it took a broken wall to rebuild this broken people.

Look at Wee Reph, Nehemiah thinks, and Jed, Shallum’s daughters (he still can’t get their names straight in his head) old Hanun, and Manky Malkie of the Dung Gate. All priceless, all marvellous, all utterly themselves.

Today Nehemiah can forget about Tobiah’s letters, and the maintenance, and the hard work of Next. Today he can see these broken people; more whole, more alive, more open than they were 52 days ago. They are a mosaic of broken pieces this lot, there are cracks that can be healed but can’t be erased. But in the shattered pieces geometric patterns emerge, spirals of potential, of fractal beauty. The human spirit is lighter than air but stronger than iron.

Nehemiah turns his horse towards the dipping sun and watches a fox trying to climb the wall, before it gives up, slinking away.

Prayer:

Dear God,

You gave us our human spirit

not unbreakable,

but infinitely repairable.

We are grateful for what we are

and what we can be together.

Amen.