December 7

This blossoms-in-the-wilderness passage is thought by some to be out of place in this part of Isaiah. It is more characteristic of 2nd Isaiah (ch. 40-66), written as a word of hope to God’s people living in exile, than it is of these first 39 chapters of 1st Isaiah, known more for their call-to-repentance tone. So, literally, this burst of hope is not supposed to be here – just like these flowers that are blooming where we might not expect flowers to bloom.

These disruptive blossoms are what community care feels like to me in days like these, amidst the crushing realities of an economy that uses up our precious bodies for the sake of a profit for a few. Bits of money shared until we have the funds our friend needs to make it between jobs. A meal prepared for the comrade who just had surgery. Herbal medicines freely shared to tend the frayed nervous systems of weary activists. The wisdom of the Harm Reduction Movement teaches us, like these wilderness blossoms, that sharing resources in a care-filled and mutual way reduces harm and moves us toward flourishing for all.  What more prophetic gift could there be for these times?

Empire does not love us. But we love us. In a wilderness that does not support our thriving, we find each other, and our mutual care blooms like a crocus bursting through the parched earth.

Prayer

Holy One, as we await your presence among us,
sometimes it is hard to realize the ways you are already drawing near. 
Show us the way toward blossoming
when the wilderness seems empty of hope.
May our care for one another reveal to us
the joy that can be all of ours amid landscapes of despair. 
With persistence we pray.  Amen.

Freedom Song

Music: “A Place for You” by Melanie DeMore
Offered by: Lynice Pinkard