TEXT FOR REFLECTION
7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” JEREMIAH 29:7
REFLECTION
There were so many reasons for the Jewish exiles to hate their Babylonian masters. The exiles had been taken to Babylon, a godless and cruel place, against their will. As prisoners of war, they probably had no status nor privileges, and were often treated unjustly. I can imagine them being brought to the least productive lands or places where no one else would want to live in. They would likely be resented or exploited by the locals. It is unlikely that there was anything to be grateful for over there.
Yet instead of asking them to revolt against the enemy, or to curse the land, or to seek ways to undermine the government, or at the very least, to just wait for liberation, God had told the exiles to bless and pray for the city. It must have been a very difficult message to receive. To pray for a city that was unjust and cruel, and that treated them badly.
But God was not spewing up pie-in-the-sky ideals. He was not telling the exiles to be heavenly-minded. God was more practical than that. What He told the exiles was that if they were to bless the city and the city was blessed, the exiles would flourish in the land as well. God was in effect saying to them, "If you help this city, if you bless the city and her people, your stay there will be much easier. If the city prospers, so will you." This was good practical advice for a people who had every reason to be resentful.
RELATE
Few of us are actually happy where we are. Most of us have grouses against our workplaces. We find our bosses unreasonable or foolish, and our subordinates lazy and uncooperative. The work environment we find ourselves thrown into is toxic or unconducive for productive work. Even those who initially thought they had found the perfect workplace, soon discover so much to dislike about the it. Over time, we grow to resent the people we work with and for.
Like many, I joined the workforce (including National Service) at age 18. That means I have worked under bosses for more than 30 years (minus university). I cannot recall having a boss who was without faults. Some were too harsh and unreasonably demanding, some were plain lazy, others were nice but soft and spineless. Come to think of it, I didn't think much of my university or seminary leaders either. For the same reasons: too harsh, too soft, too lazy. As for my subordinates, well, same I guess: too demanding, too lazy, too easy-going. As for myself, I hear the same said of me whether as boss or subordinate or co-worker: too harsh, too soft, too switched off. The reality is that there is no ideal environment where we find ourselves able to truly flourish or be at our best. And somehow, we let our dissatisfaction and disillusionment show, whether through our actions and attitudes or our words.
Today's passage gives us very wise advice: "pray for the city, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." Whether we like our bosses, our subordinates and colleagues, or we dislike them immensely, if they prosper, we will prosper as well. The reality too is that when we pray for someone, our attitude and demeanour towards them changes as well. We become more amenable to them, and this change in attitude is caught, whether consciously or unconsciously. And that changes the environment where we find ourselves.
REST
Brother, let me be your servant,
Let me be as Christ to you,
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant, too.
We are the pilgrims on a journey
We are brothers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the night time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh I'll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we've seen this journey through.
When we sing to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony
Born of all we've known together
Of Christ's love and agony.
Brother Let Me Be Your Servant Richard Gillard 1977
Chiu Ming Li
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