God’s Love is Steadfast
As I was pondering the scripture readings assigned for this day, my attention kept coming back to these words in the psalm: You remember your steadfast love…. (Psalm. 98:3).
The words your steadfast love brought me back in time…to the first weeks of March, 2020. Remember that time? We were just beginning to hear of a mysterious new illness – with symptoms of coughing; congestion; fever; difficulty breathing. We knew very little about this illness except that it was highly contagious and it could result in death for vulnerable people. It was a serious public health threat. It changed life for all of us, rather quickly and dramatically.
That was the beginning of a chaotic and fearful time for our country and for the world. We faced so many unknowns – we didn’t know what caused the illness or how it spread so quickly or how to treat it or prevent it or stop it. Our only defense in those early days was to stay home and wash our hands and wear a mask and keep away from other people and hope for the best.
As a result, church buildings were abruptly closed. [We thought we would be closed for only a couple of weeks; of course, it was many many months before we could return to the sanctuary for communal worship.]
In the midst of all that confusion and uncertainty in the world, something new and beautiful happened for some of the people in the church where I served.
We were two weeks into the liturgical season of Lent at that time and the closing of the church building meant that we could no longer meet in person for midweek Lenten worship. [Lent is the season of the liturgical year of penitence and turning back to God; through the spiritual practices of prayer, fasting, and giving to the poor.]
Thank God for technology. We pivoted to Zoom, a new experience for all of us, and continued to meet every Wednesday night for the rest of Lent. Then Holy Week came and Easter came; and Christ died and was buried and was resurrected; and we observed each of those holy days through Zoom.
By that time, a small group of people had developed the practice of meeting to ponder scripture and pray together and so we continued to hold midweek evening prayer by Zoom for the next 2 years.
One of the things we discovered during that time is how frequently that phrase we hear today – your steadfast love – appears in the Psalms (120 times!) and other parts of the Old Testament (go to biblegateway.com and search for your steadfast love and you can find all the references for yourself.)
Your steadfast love…that is, God’s steadfast love is faithful and true. God’s steadfast love endures forever…God’s steadfast love is firm; grounded deep in God’s love for all people; rooted in God’s desire to draw all people back into a right relationship with God. God’s steadfast love never ceases. (Lamentations 3:22).
The Hebrew word for steadfast love is hessed; it conveys the loving qualities that God shows to all people – loving-kindness, mercy, grace, commitment. Hessed is love expressed in action; it is God’s continual active presence in our lives now; rock solid and dependable. God is with us, today, tomorrow, and every day of our lives; until, at last, we come fully into God’s kin-dom.
Even in times of chaos and fear, of confusion and uncertainty, when life is changing quickly and dramatically all around us, we trust that God’s steadfast love surrounds us and holds us. We live in hope that through God’s steadfast love and faithfulness God is doing something new. Even when we do not yet see it. (Isaiah 43:19).
Perhaps this is the message that Jesus is giving to the people in the temple, who were admiring the physical beauty of the temple dedicated to God. Jesus describes for these people all kinds of signs that the world will change rather quickly and dramatically. There will be chaos and fear; confusion and uncertainty. The temple will be destroyed. There will be wars and insurrections; great earthquakes and famines and plagues. People who believe in Jesus, who live their out their faith in public, will be arrested and persecuted, in the name of Jesus. Yet, Jesus says, this will be your opportunity to testify (that is, to witness) to God’s steadfast love and faithfulness and presence in the world.
Sounds like Jesus is describing the time in which we are living now, does it not?
For many weeks now, US Immigration and Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents have been on the streets in Chicago and surrounding communities, intimidating and arresting people of color whom ICE agents judge (without benefit of due process) to be in this country without documentation.
For many weeks now, people in Chicago and surrounding communities have been protesting the presence of ICE on their streets.
Many of the people arrested are detained in Broadview, a federal immigration facility near Chicago.
This past Friday 300 faith leaders (of all kinds of faith; including some Lutherans) led a planned, nonviolent protest outside Broadview, which they describe as an inhumane torture facility. The faith leaders gathered to pray for the people being held in detention. They locked arms and walked slowly toward the facility. They were met with resistance from the ICE agents – shoved and beaten and threatened and mocked. The faith leaders put their hands up; they did not resist. Some of them were arrested.
These faith leaders took this opportunity to testify. To testify to the steadfast love of God; love that is for all people, regardless of ethnicity or citizenship or language. To testify to God’s faithfulness and presence in the world. These faith leaders testified with their presence and with their bodies. Now, in the days after the protest, they testify with the words and wisdom given them by faith in Jesus. They stand firm, surrounded by God’s steadfast love, and speak out. Though they have been struck down, wounded, arrested, not a hair on their head has perished; God holds them safe. They are an example to us all of endurance in a time of persecution.
The good news for today is that God’s steadfast love and faithfulness surrounds us all.
We need not be afraid in this time of chaos and confusion and uncertainty. When we are given the opportunity to testify to God’s love and justice for all people, we will be given the words and wisdom to stand firm. What might that look like for you? Perhaps you participated in the No Kings Protest, testifying for government of the people and by the people and for the people. Perhaps you purchased grocery gift cards or extra food to give to people who’s SNAP benefits were abruptly disrupted, testifying to your belief that all people have the right to have enough to eat. Perhaps you will attend the Transgender Day of Remembrance and Celebration here at Holy Trinity on Thursday, testifying to your conviction that every person is created in the image of God and is fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139).
Whatever it is and whenever you are given an opportunity to testify in the name of Jesus, I encourage you to do so boldly, following the example of Jesus. Then wait and see what new thing happens next.
Not a hair on your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your soul.
God’s steadfast love and faithfulness holds you securely in God’s grace. Now and forever.