Preached Oct 9, 2016
Jeremiah 29:4-7: "He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:
4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 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.” (NIV)
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O God (Psalm 19:14)
As a starting point I would like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional land of the Lekwungen people (who were named the “Songhees” by others). This is unceded territory of this nation.
As we consider these words from scripture, it is important to remember whose land we are on, whose traditional spaces we occupy. May we, as our scripture here commands us, strive towards right relations and living in harmony together, joining with the many nations and peoples on this land.
This is an opportune day to reflect on such relations. This weekend, many of us in Canada celebrate Thanksgiving. Some of us gathered last night in the downstairs hall for a thanksgiving meal, prepared lovingly by wonderful folks, sharing a feast among friends. For many, this thanksgiving holiday conjures up images of family, of celebrating the richness we experience, and expressing thanks. This holiday carries on traditions of fall harvest rituals, commonly featuring imagery of fall food.
But what is our connection to fall harvest, this table of plenty? And what is our connection to this land, this specific piece of creation on which we stand today? This scripture passage offers an opportunity to reconsider our connection to the land, it’s people, and the community around us.
“Jeremiah's advice was revolutionary. The exiles were to establish homes in Babylonia, and even to pray for the welfare of the state”(1) In terms of Biblical studies, this passage offers us a set of commandments contrary to what I have come to expect from ancient Israel. It is different than, say, the exodus story. The people of Israel are not encouraged to stay separate from the Babylonians who already inhabit the land, and they are not told to expect a sudden triumph over the Babylonians. Unlike Exodus, they are not given this new land, they are not expected to take it. Instead, Jeremiah encourages the Israelites to intermingle, to inter-marry, to live amongst and not separate from the Babylonians. This is not conquest or fear here, but love.
In the midst of this passage Jeremiah encourages Israel “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.” In other places throughout Hebrew scripture, these words carry religious meaning; the garden as a cult place, the house as God’s temple, to eat being a cultic sacrifice. This whole passage carries the connotation of encouraging an intentional relationship to land. This is the commandment from God; to be deliberate about making life together. There is divine direction given here to not just cultivate the land, but to cultivate a relationship with it as well; the people of Israel are told that, while in exile, to remember the people with which they dwell and the land on which they settle, to develop together with the other local beings in mind.
The final verse of this passage is particularly striking: “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.” The NRSV uses the word “welfare” and it is the NIV which uses the word “prosper” here. In Hebrew, one word could carry many meanings, and the people at the time would have understood wordplay and other meanings which modern translations and readers may miss. This idea of prospering together sparks interest and curiosity and is, indeed, quite revolutionary for Jeremiah to suggest. This word in Hebrew, sometimes translated as welfare and sometimes as prosper, carries connotations of completeness, of being whole, and is translated elsewhere in the Bible as relating to peace, success, well-being, as being intact and in a state of health.
What I hear is a tension between newcomers and those who belong to the land, and the invitation to consider each other, to work to prosper together, and to live in harmony with the land and all the people and creatures on it.
While we consider the launch of our season of creation today, it would be typical to read a story from Genesis, the 7 days of creation, Adam and Eve, or something else well-known. But this story opens up considering creation together in a different way. What is this neighbourhood, it’s history? What are the stories behind this part of creation? What is lacking here and deeply needed? What is growing here which we could foster together?
The Women’s Bible Commentary also reminds us that “The way a society treats the earth often correlates with the way it treats women. Traditionally women are linked with the earth as subordinate to men. Jeremiah's poetry challenges that assumption. The earth and its inhabitants are God's creation and the survival of the individual depends on the whole” (WBC 185-186). This commentary also offers a feminist reading, pointing out the feminine/caring roles/descriptions of God (WBC 186) offered by Jeremiah. There is not an assumption of men ruling the earth, but instead an inter-connectedness of earth and all of it’s inhabitants, all God’s creatures. God speaks to successful relationship leading to everything thriving, and that a lack of care and attention to the world and our impact endangers life on earth.
We must consider the whole of creation. When many first nations people say “all my relations” it is not just the people, but all of creation, for which they are articulating a recognition. Similarly, this passage and prescription from Jeremiah encourages a constant consideration of deeply interconnected relationships.
What would it mean if we still strove to reach for these commandments, to plant our food and eat it, to think of families in a big and expansive way, beyond boundaries of nationality and expectations of sticking to our own/ourselves/our community?
How would it change the thanksgiving story to think of how we might all live together, abundantly? What would it mean for us all to live in consideration of one another, recognizing that we are all connected?
What would it mean to consider the earth, all living things? The richness and fullness of earth. “All my relations,” what if each and everyone mattered?
This passage carries to me a key question: What does it mean to prosper together? How might we live with and amongst each other, not as separate entities or units, but with consideration of all living things?
On the ferry to Victoria recently, a German family struck up conversation with me, asking about The Abundant Community books I was reading. Upon hearing I was a new minister at JBUC, and a little about our Abundant Community Initiative, they were excited to connect. The eldest among them wanted to tell me all about her experience with a group which connected newcomers and helped build diverse community connections. It resonates with this passage’s message so strongly, to “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.” Hers was a connection with the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society. Taking a look at their website, I appreciated their defining statement: “Our mission is to assist in the settlement and adjustment of immigrants and refugees in Canada, and to provide services designed to increase the newcomer's participation in Canadian society, by assisting the newcomer to overcome barriers.”
In particular, this woman on the ferry boat wanted to tell me about the tremendous garden work and garden parties they have together. With help from the Victoria foundation, Welcome Garden helps to connect newcomers to Canada with Seniors who either want to share their gardening skills and knowledge, or need a little extra help with their garden(2). They connect people across nationalities and share in each other’s wisdom, tapping into their gifts to overcome barriers. This woman eagerly told me of the ways in which they come together, teaching each other dances from their own specific cultures, and how, when the group came to overhaul her garden, a couple of young men had brought their traditional instruments with them. When asked to play, they gladly obliged, though they had never played together. The people there danced in the garden.
At James Bay United Church, I have seen that you have already made moves to consider how you want to live and work together. I have seen the Radical Welcome bookstudy have ripple effects for years, changing how you engaged with the community around you and each other. When we met downstairs for several weeks this summer, the greeters moved to the sidewalks, extending a welcome. Instead of hearing complaints about worshipping in the basement, I heard reflections on how great it was to see everybody’s faces, how wonderful it was to centre the table, to have snacks to extend and represent hospitality at the centre of our prayer together. When you might have complained about having to move to the basement, I heard many of you say that you would, in fact, miss meeting downstairs! Your thrift store volunteers and weekly outreach are part of what attracted me to be so eager to work with James Bay United. You are rising to the opportunity to engage with street-involved community members, you have strong leadership within your community already. I see your growth, and that you are part of the community, not separate from it. And I am learning from your history, how you have had much impact on the community and have established a number of vital projects over the years.
This passage encourages a continuation of that work which your church has been engaging in.This abundant community initiative is one way I can imagine moving forward together on the questions this passage raises and the opportunities it names. It is an opportunity to connect with neighbours, to learn of the skills and gifts, desires and passions in our neighbourhood. We can become more connected, consider the health and wholeness of all. An ideal inter-cultural relationship is sharing a love for the land. Let us pray as we consider consider the breadth and depth of our community engagement, so that we, too, may dance together, in the garden.
1 (note 5-7 in Oxford Annotated Bible)