From Patricia Wednesday 22/4/20: 3.00 am or thereabouts.
A Lament: Show yourself O God
I just woke out of one of those dreams, one where I was trying to shake awake my sister, as some terrible cataclysmic event was happening around us and we had to be awake to escape it.
Of course , when I finally came to,
– It wasn’t so – or is it?
inspired by reading the words of Micah the prophet…
…most of us deep down, any of us that has any compassion, none of us with heart, I would say, can even express fully to one another what we see happening across the face of the globe.
It is inexpressible!
I pray for you my dear friend. And your family, those you love, especially on the front line. Those too, my loved ones, my friends, those close to me, some also on the front line, all those too, I love.
Tonight, we pray, together, with one voice, to our Great Love, Our God and Redeemer, Lover of our souls, we cry out to You.
Are you there, God?
Can you see what’s happening?
Do you sleep?
Are you gone away? Have you forgotten us?
Stir Yourself O Great God, the All – Mighty, Creator, the All – Forgiving God.
We, I, dread to see what great cloud of grief and despair is now, at this very moment, rolling in like a great tsunami across the world.
Now, look, we hear a report- it is coming, rolling in, toward Africa.
“Sing for joy, O Africa”?
No!
Weep and wail, O Africa.
We cry out, visit Africa, O God, visit too, our land, visit us too, here, where we are, locked away from it in our homes.
But some have no roof, they are in the streets, living on tents, cast out, in violence and fear, molestation and rape, in tents, in the open on closed borders, those elderly, forgotten, already isolated. Them too, and more, please God.
O God. Visit the already sick, the starving, the frail across the world. Yes! Visit all the world in one almighty redemptive divine visitation of salvation.
Men’s hearts failing them for fear. Even those guilty of corporate sin – the high and mighty of this world- men, and women too, who have bowed the knee to no one but themselves, who worship at their own shrines.
They too , like us, l, … their… our, high mindedness is failing us all – hearts shaking, for what is yet to come.
It has all gotten out of control.
Yes! even your women’, they too, with their great beating living giving and forgiving women’s mother – hearts. You gave us this gift, our cross, , we are aghast, no frozen, at what seems to be the release of an angel of death … knocking on doors, visiting houses great and small.
Behold, it stands at the door and knocks.
Remember us O God. Our hearts are stirred up – we remember you are Mighty and your Mercy. When we cried before to you, O God, you heard us and saved us. Save us now.
You are the One True Living God, the only God. We acknowledge you – we confess it.
Forgive us our foolishness. Our false beliefs. As if we knew what we were doing, as if we have any power. We do not! We acknowledge this before You. We humble ourselves.
What can we do? Show us what to do and we will obey You.
God forgive us. God love us, comfort us, … them. Do not give up on this world. Not now.
Our salvation is so close. We say with one voice “Come, our Saviour”.
We say again… There is none other beside You.
Forgive and have mercy.
Come to our rescue.
Stop the plague, visited upon us by .. what? who? we do not know.
We recall your goodness: Give food to the mothers, the babes. Give comfort to the vulnerable, the physically, the mentally, the spiritually weak. Bring comfort to those, even now, who are dying.
Thank you for those on the front line. Keep them safe. Strengthen their already courageous hearts.
Stop the corporate sinners. All those who think themselves above the God of Heaven. They are almost fallen from those lofty towers of human might, in the face of this present enemy. Bring them down we pray. Bring justice.
Rise up and bring healing and health. Give wisdom to those searching for answers.
Words fail us.
Save us O God
Show us what these words, penned by the prophet Micah, what they truly mean …
“He has shown thee O human, what the Lord requires of you
To do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”
What does God ask of us? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.—Micah 6:8
Amen
END