Jeremiah 33:14-16
To ‘disappear’ someone is one of the favoured tactics of despots and tyrants. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Aang Sung Suu Kyi was put under house arrest. Itai Dzamara criticised Robert Mugabe, never to be seen again. The list goes on.
It’s not just nation states who ‘disappear’ people. Workplaces will often have someone clear their desk, then be escorted from the building by security, while their email account is frozen and a clear message is sent that they are persona non grata.
Just over three weeks ago, Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai posted on twitter that the former Vice Premier of China had sexually assaulted her. Then, she was gone. After enormous global pressure, last Monday she had a video call with the President of the International Olympic Committee. I’m glad she is safe. But perhaps she is only safe because of her public profile as a sportsperson. There are many other dissenters around the world who remain in prison, or missing, or in an undisclosed location, because they dared to express an alternative view.
The short appointed scripture reading for today from Jeremiah has a neat set of Advent themes in it. A branch will grow out of the trunk of the House of David – that is, one of David’s descendants. This person will be righteous themselves, and they will execute justice and righteousness throughout the land. Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety.
For those of us formed in the Christian worldview, the resonances are crystal clear. Jesus is the descendant of David. Jesus executes justice and righteousness. Jesus liberates us and, in the New Jerusalem, all people will live in safety.
But perhaps we also need to read this text in its particular historical and literary context. Jeremiah is a prophet who is called to declare judgement on the Southern kingdom of Judah. Despite attempts by King Josiah to bring them back to true worship, the kingdom is worshipping idols. Because of this, declares Jeremiah, the Babylonians will conquer Jerusalem and destroy it.
This is not a popular thing to say. The Babylonians are besieging Jerusalem at the time, and no on wants to admit defeat. There are other prophets declaring that peace is on the horizon. They are much more popular with the priests and the king. Pashur, one of the priests, convinces King Zedekiah that Jeremiah should be killed. So a group of priests chucks Jeremiah into a water cistern, where he sinks into the mud, presumably to starve to death. Jeremiah is rescued by Ebed-Melech, a Cushite or Ethiopian. But even after he is pulled out of the water tank, Jeremiah is placed in the lockup. Jeremiah gets ‘disappeared’.
While he is in the lockup, and while the city is under siege, Jeremiah does a real estate deal. From his uncle, he buys land in his hometown of Anathoth. This is a sign of his confidence that, even though Jerusalem will fall to King Nebuchednezzar, the nation will one day be restored. Jeremiah or one of his family will be able to go home. It is a symbolic demonstration, in the midst of chaos and destruction.
Throughout Advent, we are getting ready to come close to the Mystery of Christmas. Christmas is such a great mystery, that we need time to get ready. Part of the Mystery of Christmas is the outpouring of generosity that occurs. There’s all those presents underneath trees, of course. But for us, the focus is on God’s extravagant gift of unconditional love. We respond to that love by giving to others, including through the Christmas Bowl.
Faizah and her family live in a remote village in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, which was hard hit by a huge earthquake and tsunami in 2018. Since then, frequent flash floods, drought and the COVID-19 pandemic have continued to affect their crops, making it hard for Faizah to feed their four children. Through the Christmas Bowl appeal, Church World Service in Indonesia works Faizah’s community to help them adapt to the changing climate and be more resilient to disasters. Faizah and the women in her community, are learning to make organic fertiliser and pesticides to help them grow their own food. Now she is turning her food scraps into fertiliser, so she can grow more vegetables to feed her family.
In the face of climate and catastrophe, Faizah and her community have no choice but to face reality. Like Jeremiah, she can see that the bad times are coming and will probably get worse before they get better.
But she can also see hope on the horizon, and she invests in hopeful activity. This in turn heartens her community and gives them strength.
Jeremiah’s city was surrounded by an army. The religious leaders tried to murder him. His king locked him up for saying the wrong thing. But he saw beyond all of that, to the day when the fortunes of his people would be restored.
So what about you, and me? We are surrounded by travails and tribulations. Things often seem to be getting worse, fragmenting and disintegrating. During this Advent can we see beyond the chaos of now, and catch a glimpse of God’s future of justice and righteousness?