Word to the Wise
Friday, June 25, 2010 - Friday in the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
[2 Kings 25:1-12 and Matthew 8:1-4]Then Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, led into exile the last of the people remaining in the city, and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the last of the artisans. But some of the country's poor, Nebuzaradan, captian of the guard, left behind as vinedressers and farmers. [2 Kings]
With those words, the Babylonian exile began! This traumatic event stands alongside the Exodus and the destruction of the Temple by the Romans as one of the pivotal events in the history of Judaism. The nature of events like this is such that we find ourselves speaking of "pre-" and "post-" in regard to other events before and after the BIG one! Think of how we speak in regard to "9/11" or, in Louisiana, "Katrina!" In reading the Old Testament, it is important to know whether or not events are dated before or after the Exile. In fact, much of the Old Testament was put into writing after the Exile was over and reflects the influence of that event! Scholars even speak of "Second Temple Judaism" - the broad spectrum of Jewish faith that was shaped by the return from Babylon. I use the more modern examples of "before and after" to help us understand a little better the impact of an ancient event - the Babylonian Exile. But that same event can help us understand a little better what it means to rebuild a life. We're not exactly starting all over again because much of our rebuilding is an effort to return to what we knew before the loss. Memory is a powerful friend/foe in such efforts. Those long readings from the historical books of the Old Testament with their strange-sounding names may seem a different world and not terribly relevant to us, but we will miss much if we don't listen and think about them. AMEN
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