prayer is dialogue - 17th week Tuesday 2014

Our first reading is a beautiful prayer.  It is part of the Lamentations of Jeremiah written during the war that would bring Judah to what we call in history as the Babylonian Exile. 

What is a prophet?  Sometimes we have that wrong understanding that a prophet is one who predicts the future.  No that is not a prophet, that is a fortune teller.  In the bible a prophet is a prophet because he speaks for God, he speaks to the people on God’s behalf.  And yet at the same time a prophet is a prophet because he speaks to God in behalf of the people. And this is why I refer to our reading as a beautiful prayer for the prophet Jeremiah in this instance speaks both ways.  First God speaks through Jeremiah  - Let my eyes stream with tears day and night, without rest, Over the great destruction which overwhelms the virgin daughter of my people, If I walk out into the field, look! those slain by the sword; If I enter the city, look! those consumed by hunger.”  God is not angry.  He is full of compassion and tenderness for his people. 

Then in a subtle change of tone Jeremiah begins to speak in behalf of the people. “Have you cast Judah off completely? Why have you struck us a blow that cannot be healed?  We wait for peace, to no avail; for a time of healing, but terror comes instead.  For your name’s sake spurn us not, remember your covenant with us, and break it not.”

It is a beautiful prayer because God is allowed to speak from his heart and Jeremiah speaks too from his heart.  Prayer is always a dialogue, a dialogue between two persons in love with each other.  Is this also our prayer when we come to church?  When we pray are we in love with God?