Introduction
We live in anxious times. Recent events in Manchester and London have left those personally involved deeply traumatised, and the rest of us feeling shocked and helpless. We are not, however, the first people to experience violence and destruction. The Gospels were written in the wake of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD, and the Book of Jeremiah reflects the earlier sacking of the city by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Some of our own confused reactions – the instinct to comfort mixed with outrage and searching questions – are reflected in this week’s readings.
Context
At least 79 people are missing and presumed dead after the Grenfell Tower fire.
A man drove a van into a crowd of Muslim worshippers in north London.
Well over 100,000 Great Get Together events were held last weekend.
Reflection
When the Gospels were written, people were still trying to work out who Jesus was, and what his life had to say to the political and social upheaval of the times. This week’s passage from Matthew is not a sustained, coherent argument. It reads like a patchwork of sayings. Some are comforting and inspiring: ‘have no fear’, ‘even the hairs of your head are all counted’. Others are disturbing: ‘I have not come to bring peace, but a sword’, ‘I have come to set a daughter against her mother’. This reflects the natural human response to trauma. We reach out with words of comfort – we are deeply grateful to those who risk their own lives to save others. But normality has fractured. Will society hold? Where is God? Jesus’ death and resurrection is presented as a model: ‘those who lose their life for my sake will find it’. But this raises more questions than it answers.
Jeremiah lived through the siege of Jerusalem. Read Lamentations 2.19-22 for a harrowing description of the hunger and the slaughter. As Jeremiah says, ‘Terror is all around’. The prophet’s anguish is compounded because he is unable to proclaim the reassuring message of peace everyone is longing for (see Jeremiah 6.14, or 14.13-16). In this week’s passage, he pours out his inner turbulence. The lectionary reading ends on a positive note of praise, but this is misleading. In the very next verse, Jeremiah curses the day on which he was born. There are no easy answers, no neat resolutions. Jeremiah’s searing words reverberate down the centuries because they chime with the experiences of so many victims. Yet despite his bitter protest, Jeremiah resolutely clings to God.
The Book of Jeremiah and the Gospel of Matthew are texts which created and sustained communities. We have seen how vital community becomes in the wake of disaster. Within hours of Grenfell Tower catching fire, churches and mosques were open, volunteers were mobilising, and donations were pouring in. It was concrete, practical help. It was also a way of asserting our humanity, and forging bonds of friendship. The Great Get Together events, held in memory of the late MP Jo Cox, celebrated that we have ‘more in common’. In the wake of the attack near Finsbury mosque, Brendan Cox spoke passionately about the relevance of that message. He urged us all to take small steps to build community, and unite against hatred of any kind.
Prayer
Psalm 69, like Jeremiah 20.7-18, is a prayer of lament. The speaker calls out to God with anguished questions. There is a back and forth between accusations and expressions of confidence. Why not write your own psalm of lament, based on a national or personal tragedy. Be honest about difficult feelings, such as a desire for revenge, and confide them to God. You may like to start with Psalm 69.15: In your great mercy, O God, answer me…
Questions
- Which statements in the Gospel reading do you find comforting or inspiring?
- Which statements in the Gospel reading do you find difficult, even shocking?
Action
Consult the website of the British Red Cross for ways in which you can help people affected by disasters.
Young people
Create a safe space in which young people can talk about recent events. The British Red Cross provide resources for structuring the discussion.
Ann Conway-Jones is a biblical scholar. She is an honorary research fellow at The Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education.
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