Rejoice
with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, / all you who love her; rejoice with her
in joy, / all you who mourn over her. Isaiah 66:10
I
thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every
one of my prayers for all of you. Philippians 1:3-4
Both these short readings are about rejoicing - the
restoration of Jerusalem post exile and a positive experience of a Christian
community in Phillippi (in stark contrast to some of Paul’s other experiences).
Paul’s writing to a church community who
collectively are the cause of his joy – which begs the question as to what sort
of letter he would write to us as a church community or as individuals? Are we
a cause of pain or joy? What is it about
our lives and those of the Christian communities we belong to that attract or
repel others?
The words of Isaiah present us with more of a
dilemma as we look at that city and region today, with people divided and
outright hostility between communities with competing demands over the same
land, the same city. Jesus, we are told,
wept over Jerusalem and many still weep today.
In that City there are people in every community who work for justice
and peace. We can rejoice in their
witness, place ourselves in solidarity with those who suffer, and add our
voices to the cry for justice and peace.
Loving God, we
rejoice:
In your love
for us
for those who
love us and inspire us
with those who
work for peace and justice
Loving God, we
weep:
For the people
of the Holy Land
For those with
sadness in their hearts.
We give thanks
that you meet us in our joys and in our sorrows. Amen.
Peter Smith
Manley Park & Chorlton
Methodist Church
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