Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Edges of Faith

Home

Home
Progressive Christian
I Am Become Death (Daily Lenten Meditation)

I Am Become Death (Daily Lenten Meditation)

Last updated on: February 23, 2012 at 4:00 am by David Roberts

I Am Become Death (Daily Lenten Meditation) 2012-02-23T02:11:41+00:00 David Roberts

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Throughout Lent, I will be posting short meditations on the Daily Office readings every day. Please journey and pray with me through these readings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26YLehuMydo&feature=related

Thursday, February 23
Habakkuk 3:1-18

In Habakkuk, the prophet paints a terrifyingly vivid image of the anger of God. In our world, we too often want to imagine a God whose puppy love warms us when we are cold and massages our tired limbs after a long day. Ours is a day-spa God sent to comfort and pamper us with fuzzy love and feel-good emotions. The idea of a God who seethes in anger strikes us as rather archaic, so very much like the Old Testament God.

I wonder, though, if someone who lives under the tyrannical rule of extreme poverty, exploitative oppression or cruel dictators would read these passages of God’s anger the same way. I wonder if they would understand God’s anger at the wicked and unjust as an expression of God’s love for them and God’s solidarity with their plight. Because, in the book of Habakkuk, God’s anger doesn’t seethe for personal immorality, for whether folks swear, drink or believe certain key points about the nature of God. Rather, God’s anger is stirred at the sins of the people – of lavish, wealthy nations who ignore the needs of others, who shower violence on them and scar the earth with their lust for more, always more.

“Wealth is treacherous,” the Lord reminds Habakkuk. “The arrogant do not endure. They open their throats wide as Sheol; like Death they never have enough. They gather all nations for themselves and collect all people as their own.”

The poetry is chilling. Like Death they never have enough. I am become death, the destroyer of worlds. When Robert Oppenheimer said these words, quoting the Bhagavad Gita, he was envisioning a nuclear age in which his discoveries would unhinge the world and release a pestilence of destruction. Somehow, against all odds, the human family has managed to corral the locust cloud plague of a nuclear winter, if only just barely.

Yet, we have become death, opening our mouths wider than the Sheol, the place of the dead, consuming all nations, claiming them as our own, and we are always hungry for more.

We are a society based upon an insatiable appetite, on endless consumption. We are a society based on death.

And the book of Habakkuk calls out to us from centuries ago, “How long will you load yourselves with goods taken in pledge? Will not your creditors suddenly rise, and those who make you tremble wake up? Then you will be booty for them. Because you have plundered many nations, all that survive of the peoples shall plunder you – because of human bloodshed and violence to the earth, to cities and all who live in them.”

And we have plundered the nations. We have spilled the blood for profit and for product. And, God help us, we have done violence to the earth. And for what have we ransomed our humanity, swiped away our spirits with little plastic cards: New cars and designer clothes? Cheap energy and flat-screen TVs? Granite countertops and an iPad?

*******

O God of the lilies and the locusts, we have not the strength to stop, to snap our unhinged jaws shut, to clasp shut our consumptive death. Our appetites are beyond our control, and, at times our only salve. Help us to find the path to repentance, the path to life.

Previous Post

February 21, 2012

Trampling the Poor: A Lenten Reflection for Ash Wednesday

Next Post

February 24, 2012 The Subversiveness of Gentleness (Daily Lenten Meditation)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Black Lives Matter Christian Calendar Daily Office Essay Fiction Film homily Humor Lectionary Lenten Meditations Living Faith Meditation Ministry Parable Parenting Poem Politics Pop Culture Reflection Satire Sketch Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 December 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which country has the most Protestant Christians by number?

Select your answer to see how you score.

United Kingdom Brazil United States Germany