Some 600 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, the Temple and the city walls. They killed or carried off into exile most of the upper and middle classes of Jerusalem, taking them as slaves to Babylonia. The Jews remained in Exile for approximately 70 years, or two generations.
After those 70 years in Exile, the King of Persia, Cyrus, who had conquered Babylon, gave permission to the Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem. None of those who went into Exile were still living. None of them knew Israel or Jerusalem, except for the faith and family stories which had been handed down to them in families of Faith. They were a defeated, devastated people.
In today’s first reading, Nehemiah the Governor and Ezra the Priest are working together to bring the people back and restore them to their faith in God. The people were called together in a large open space in Jerusalem. Ezra read to them from the Torah, the first five books of the bible, also known as the Law of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy
The Torah consists of the origin of Jewish peoplehood: their call into being by God, their trials and tribulations, and their covenant with their God, which involves following a way of life embodied in a set of moral and religious obligations and civil law. The earliest revelations of the coming Messiah are found in the Torah.
They proposed the Torah as the “Constitution” for the restoration of their city, their people, their nation and their common religion.
The Torah grounds us, also, as Christians, because it is the foundation for our understanding of our Salvation History; the notion that God loves us and has always planned to restore us to His Kingdom.
Eszra read from the Torah from early morning to mid-day.
Let’s imagine the scene. No one present was living in Jerusalem before the Exile. The Temple and the city and its walls were destroyed when the Babylonians conquered the city. Jerusalem was in shambles, unable even to defend itself against other powers or marauders. Now Ezra and Nehemiah had called the people together to hear, probably for the first time their lives the Word of God.
Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform
that had been made for the occasion.
He opened the scroll
so that all the people might see it
— for he was standing higher up than any of the people —;
and, as he opened it, all the people rose.
Sound familiar? Our liturgy has a long history. The Word of God was always central to worship of God. The people stood and listened. Remember, they had never heard the Word of God.
Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God,
interpreting it so that all could understand what was read.
Ezra and Nehemiah told the people,
“Today is holy to the LORD your God.
Do not be sad, and do not weep”—
for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.
Israel was restored through the Word of God.
We are experiencing a crisis in our city and country and the world, with the Covid Pandemic. This past week has seen the highest level of new cases since it began almost two years ago. All of us have been affected in one way or another. Yet, we are hearing hopeful signs that the Pandemic appears to be burning itself out. More cases, but fewer deaths and serious illness. It may well be over soon, changing from pandemic to “endemic”, like an annual flu.
I want to also share with you that I have had a rough two or three months with minor surgeries, and then a cerebral event in early December, a TIA, some call a “mini-stroke”. My blood pressure was quite high. Then, I fell and hurt my back on Christmas Eve. There were many days in December when I was incapacitated. I just returned from a much-needed vacation. I am recuperating and getting my blood pressure under control.
In our Staff Meeting this past week, we were discussing how to respond to the recent Covid spikes. We shared our fears. Several of our Staff have also had serious health challenges in December and January. We asked ourselves, does anything need to change?
We came to a consensus: Nothing needs to change. Our greatest enemy is FEAR; not Covid. How do you respond to Fear? Jesus told people repeatedly, “Do not be afraid.” We respond to Fear with love, hope, charity and Confidence. It is up to each of us to lead our people back, out of fear. I don’t know what is coming in 2022. I do know that I will do everything in my power to continue to serve our parish and Diocese. I am committed to the parish, as is our team.
I trust in the Word of God. We are formed as a people of God by the Word of God. I believe Jesus when he finished reading the prophecies of the Messiah written by Isaiah.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
In this year of Our Lord, 2022, let’s recommit ourselves to the Word of God, and allow it to continue to form and strengthen us. This is the only way back from “Exile”, “Pandemic Exile”. Do not be afraid to live and proclaim God’s Word. God’s Word makes us the people He has called us to be. Our world is hungry for God’s Word.