like an underwear - 17th week Monday 2014

God uses a strange metaphor to illustrate his closeness to Judah.  Through the prophet Jeremiah, God compares his relationship with Judah to a man and his underwear.  It does not need much explanation why we refer to these clothing as our intimate apparel.  But that is how close God is to us.  However, with Judah the relationship has become rotten illustrated by a rotten loin cloth.  It has become useless, for Judah refused to listen to God.  In Hebrew the word to listen and to obey is one and the same word.  And that is also true in Hiligaynon.  Ang mga wala nagapamati include not just those who did not hear but even those who heard but did not follow, those who heard but did not obey, kay man wala nagapamati – dala gurinat.  Relationship and intimacy is always bound in our capacity to listen to each other, in our capacity to hear each other and the resolve to follow the truth of what we hear, isn’t it?  Intimacy always starts with listening and is sustained by listening.  Conflicts also start with the failure to listen.