FIRST RESPONDER FOR GOD
Joel 2:12-13—from Good News Translation:
“But even now,” says the Lord,
“repent sincerely and return to me
with fasting and weeping and mourning.
Let your broken heart show your sorrow;
tearing your clothes is not enough.”Come back to the Lord your God.
He is kind and full of mercy;
he is patient and keeps his promise;
he is always ready to forgive and not punish.
The short Old Testament book of Joel is a commentary on a plague of locusts which has invaded the land. It is devastating:
“What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten.
What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten,
And what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten.” (Joel 1:4)
The devastation has affected everyone in the land. Food and wine have been destroyed. “Surely, joy withers away among the people,” says Joel.
This prophet tells the people they should return to God and “rend their hearts” for “God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” One of Joel’s concerns is “what will others think?” if our land is devastated and they will ask, “Where is their God?”
Devastations have come upon lands throughout history. There have been volcanoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, flooding, and dust storms. Add to that, the Black Plague, Smallpox, Measles, Polio, and now Covid. The list could go on and on. At each point, Joel calls upon us to be God’s people who act on God’s behalf. I do no believe God sends disaster to punish or kill people. But disasters happen and when they do, we are to be God’s first responders.
An example might be if a tornado wipes out my neighbor’s home but spares mine, I give thanks to God for my safety and then turn my energy and resources into helping my neighbor restore home, health, and hope. If a disease creeps and then plunges into my community, nation, or our world, I respond without hesitation to bring healing and restoration to those affected.
Today is certainly one of those times when God needs our hands and hearts to bring hope and healing and reconciliation in our community, our state, and our nation. As a result, to those people whom Joel addressed (and us), God says,
“You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you… Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.”
Prayer: God, you have called me to be a “First Responder” for you to bring hope, healing, peace, and justice in the midst of the devastations that surround us. Give me the strength and desire to be your representative. Amen
Song: “The Lord Now Sends Us Forth” by Gerhard M. Cartford, translator (ELW 538)