No images? Click here Thursday, July 1st, 2021 Richard Rohr's Daily MeditationFrom the Center for Action and Contemplation Week Twenty-Six: Great Themes of Scripture: Hebrew Bible Job: Hoping Against HopeThe author of the biblical book of Job wrestled with the mystery of evil. If we look at this book as a drama or play, we can easily see Job as the protagonist, God as the hero, and Satan as the villain. Job’s three friends keep the drama going as they look at all the traditional solutions to the problem of evil and find them wanting. In the end, God interrupts the conversation and gives the answer which leaves theologians and intellectuals at a loss for words to this day. With Israel’s exile still fresh in mind, the biblical author confronts the mystery of suffering, pushes hard against it, and refuses to be satisfied with pious platitudes. He begins to suspect that there is something more. He has seen the old logic of quid pro quo breaking down, and wonders whether the answer can even come in this life. There is a longing for immortality in his soul. Job expresses this in chapter 14:
Job is hoping against hope, believing against everything he has been taught to believe. The author senses something more to life than what appears. As a nation, the Israelites have seen themselves defeated in exile, yet a remnant still survives and carries with it the hope of rebirth. As an Israelite himself, the author considers whether what they have experienced in their corporate life might also be possible in individual life. Could there really be a way to survive after death, a place where God’s justice and love will be truly realized? In one passage at least, Job voices confident hope that there is:
In this passage Job makes the gigantic leap of faith. He has walked with God this far. He knows he is still suffering. He has experienced life’s meaninglessness. Yet in the experience of God he has found meaning, he has touched on something Real, something that seems capable of going on forever. And so he believes in it, in that space where faith and hope are mixed together, resting in the wordless confidence of a felt promise. He trusts that this journey with God will continue even after death. Love of God and eternal life are beginning to become the same thing. Adapted from Richard Rohr and Joseph Martos, The Great Themes of Scripture: Old Testament (St. Anthony Messenger Press: 1987), 97, 100–101; and “Genesis and Job: God, Man, Good, and Evil,” The Great Themes of Scripture, tape 4 (St. Anthony Messenger Tapes: 1973). Image credit: Jenna Keiper, Reflections II (detail), 2020, photograph, Albuquerque. Image inspiration: These intertwined branches speak of the braided nature of biblical themes: mystery, hope, possibility, resilience, vulnerability and strength. Although these leaves have seen better days, clouds carry hope for rain. Prayer For Our CommunityLoving God, you fill all things with a fullness and hope that we can never comprehend. Thank you for leading us into a time where more of reality is being unveiled for us all to see. We pray that you will take away our natural temptation for cynicism, denial, fear and despair. Help us have the courage to awaken to greater truth, greater humility, and greater care for one another. May we place our hope in what matters and what lasts, trusting in your eternal presence and love. Listen to our hearts’ longings for the healing of our suffering world. Please add your own intentions . . . Knowing, good God, you are hearing us better than we are speaking, we offer these prayers in all the holy names of God. Amen. Story From Our CommunityThe Daily Meditations answer questions asked and not asked. Often, after asking the Holy Spirit the message in Scripture, I get the answer from my reading the daily meditation. God has finally become more like that vision I had as a little boy. These writings have lifted the burden of the need to be quiet and conform. I am free to say I know what is true to me about who and what God is. Thank you for pulling me into a place of contentment in the discovery. I have never been this happy about my relationship with God. Was this email forwarded to you? Join now for daily, weekly, or monthly meditations. News from the CACONEING: Trauma Offers a Glimpse of God in SufferingThe themes of scripture include great love and great suffering—transformative experiences where we find God, ourselves, and each other. Illuminate your experience of God in suffering with ONEING: Trauma, a collection of poignant creative works from Fr. Richard Rohr, Matthew Fox, Joan Halifax, David Brenner, Felicia Murrell, and more. Explore Scripture in The Universal Christ and the Alternative OrthodoxySpend five seasons with Fr. Richard, Paul Swanson, and Brie Stoner in our landmark podcast Another Name for Every Thing. Unpack the scripture-based theology of The Universal Christ (now available in paperback), the Gospel at the heart of the Alternative Orthodoxy, and integrate wisdom in your daily life. Listen online or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. Explore Richard Rohr's Daily Meditations archive at cac.org. The work of the Center for Action and Contemplation is possible only because of people like you! Learn more about how you can help support this work. If you would like to change how you receive these emails you can update your preferences or unsubscribe from our list. Read our FAQ or privacy policy for more information. |