It's a Mean World

Scripture Passage that Caught my Attention Today: Jeremiah 39:6-7 The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes; also the king of Babylon slaughtered all the nobles of Judah. 7 He put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters to take him to Babylon.

Observation: This was really brutal, both physically and emotionally. The last thing that Zedekiah saw before they took out his eyes (excruciatingly painful in it’s own right) was the slaughter of his own sons.

Application: All things considered, I live a pretty sheltered life. I suspect the same is true for many (but not necessarily all) who read this blog. Many of us go about our lives with little real concern of physical danger.

One incident, of course, could drastically change all of that. All of us are vulnerable, just not necessarily targeted.

Zedekiah was a king (albeit a puppet king) and for quite some time could come and go as he pleased without worry. But eventually he became a target. And once a target was placed upon him, there was no escape.

My point is not that we should all suddenly become paranoid and look for monsters behind every bush. Life is too short to live like that. Nor am I necessarily defending Zedekiah. The story is what it is.

I just wish there wasn’t so much suffering in the world. I wish people weren’t, at times, so mean.

But that’s easy for me to say. The computer I’m typing on was assembled in China and I have no idea whether the factory in which it was produced has good working conditions or bad. Nor do I really want to know. Same goes for any number of other things in my life ranging from clothing to stocks and other investments.

Whether I realize it or not, I am most likely part and parcel of a large driving engine that, sometimes, actually contributes to human suffering because of my own quest for lower prices or bigger returns on my investments.

None of us is entirely clean and, hence, in our own way we each support at least a portion of the world’s mean streak. I may not have slaughtered either of Zedekiah’s sons or plucked out his eyes, but chances are that more than one father in the universe has watched his sons and/or daughters go off to work in a sweat shop so that my children can dress in style.

Yep, Jesus hit the nail right on the head when he looked down from the cross and prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for the myriad of ways that we make your world a meaner place, and help us to take steps, as we are able, to make the world a kinder place. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Jeremiah 37-39, Psalm 72, 2 John)