HABAKKUK 1:1-4; 2:1-4 | WE KNOW JUST HOW HE FEELS

WE KNOW JUST HOW HE FEELS

HABAKKUK 1:1-4; 2:1-4

OCTOBER 30, 2016

MANY OF US KNOW THE NAME, RABBI HAROLD KUSHNER, AND HIS BOOK, WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE.  WHAT WE MAY NOT KNOW IS WHY RABBI KUSHNER FELT COMPELLED TO WRITE THE BOOK.

RABBI KUSHNER’S SON, AARON, WAS BORN WITH PROGERIA, A RARE INCURABLE DISEASE THAT CAUSES RAPID AGING.  CHANCES ARE, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN A CHILD WITH PROGERIA SOMETIME IN YOUR LIFE;

OR YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THE 60 MINUTES SEGMENT A FEW YEARS AGO ABOUT CHILDREN WITH PROGERIA.

WHEN AARON WAS THREE, THE DOCTORS EXPLAINED TO THE KUSHNERS THAT AARON WOULD NEVER GROW MUCH BEYOND THREE FEET TALL, WOULD HAVE NO HAIR ON HIS HEAD OR BODY, WOULD LOOK LIKE AN OLD MAN WHILE STILL A CHILD, AND WOULD DIE IN HIS EARLY TEENS.

WHEN HE WAS 14, AARON DIED OF OLD AGE.

IT WAS AARON’S ILLNESS AND DEATH WHICH FORCED KUSHNER TO RECONSIDER HIS VIEW OF GOD AS AN ALL-POWERFUL FORCE WHO CONTROLS EVERYTHING WITH A MASTER PLAN THAT HUMANS JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND.

THE BOOK, WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE, WAS KUSHNER’S RESPONSE, EMERGING WITH WHAT WAS HAILED AS A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF GOD, BUT WHAT WAS, IN FACT, ANCIENT WISDOM.

OFTEN MISQUOTED AS WHY BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE, THE BOOK MAKES IT CLEAR THAT KUSHNER DOESN’T KNOW WHY ANY MORE THAN THE REST OF US.

SOMETIMES PEOPLE MAKE BAD DECISIONS.  LAWS OF NATURE AND SIMPLE BAD LUCK CAN BE THE CULPRITS.  ACCIDENTS HAPPEN.  THERE AREN’T ALWAYS REASONS WHY BAD THINGS HAPPEN.

JESUS, HEALING THE BLIND MAN AT THE POOL OF SILOAM IS ASKED BY ONE OF HIS DISCIPLES, “WHO SINNED TO CAUSE THIS MAN’S BLINDNESS, HE OR HIS PARENTS?”

IT WAS A COMMON BELIEF THAT ILLNESS, INJURY, AND DISABILITY WAS THE RESULT OF SIN IN JESUS’ DAY.  JESUS ANSWERED THAT NEITHER THE MAN NOR HIS PARENTS HAD SINNED CAUSING HIS BLINDNESS, BUT INSTEAD, THE MAN’S BLINDNESS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GOD TO DO SOMETHING GREAT.

IN LUKE 13, TWO CALAMITIES HAD JUST OCCURRED THAT WERE THE TALK OF JERUSALEM.  THE ROMAN GOVERNOR PILATE HAD SLAUGHTERED A GROUP OF GALILEANS, AND A TOWER NEAR THAT SAME POOL OF SILOAM HAD COLLAPSED KILLING 18 PEOPLE.

“WAS THIS GOD’S RETRIBUTION FOR SOME SLIGHT COMMITTED BY THE VICTIMS OF THESE EVENTS?”  “WERE THE PEOPLE KILLED, SOMEHOW WORSE SINNERS THAN ALL THE OTHER GALILEANS?”

NO, ONE WAS AN ATROCITY, AN ACT OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE;

AND THE OTHER WAS A TRAGIC ACCIDENT, A WHIM OF FATE.

JESUS ESSENTIALLY SAYS, “LOOK, THEY WERE IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME.”  BAD THINGS HAPPEN – OFTEN WITHOUT EXPLANATION.

BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE, AND GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD PEOPLE, AND “WHY?” IS OFTEN A MYSTERY.

IT’S NOT SO MUCH MY INTENTION HERE THIS MORNING TO TRY TO EXPLAIN EVIL, SUFFERING, AND WHERE GOD’S LOVE IS IN ALL OF THIS; THOUGH WE’LL CERTAINLY TOUCH ON SOME OF THAT, AS WE HAVE ALREADY.

INSTEAD, I WANT US TO THINK, TOGETHER, ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE KNOW JUST HOW HE (SHE, THEY) FEEL WHEN THINGS LIKE THIS OCCUR.

MY GUESS IS, MOST OF US HAVE NOT SPENT A LOT OF TIME READING THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK.  IT’S A RATHER SHORT BOOK IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.  WE DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE PROPHET HABAKKUK, AND THE BOOK BEARING HIS NAME TELLS US VERY LITTLE ABOUT HIM.

IF I WERE TO TELL YOU WHEN SCHOLARS BELIEVE HABAKKUK WAS A PROPHET; AND WHICH KINGS OF JUDAH, (JEHOIAKIM AND HIS SON JOHOIACHIN) WERE IN POWER; OR THAT CONTROL OF JUDEA HAD PASSED FROM EGYPTIAN TO BABYLONIAN CONTROL DURING HIS LIFETIME;

I’M NOT SURE IT WOULD MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE TO YOU, OR THAT YOU WOULD CARE EITHER WAY.

BUT IF I WERE TO TELL YOU THAT HABAKKUK HAD THE SAME KINDS OF QUESTIONS WE HAVE: LIKE, WHERE THE HECK IS GOD WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN?  AND WHY DO THEY HAPPEN?  AND WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOD THINKING BY ALLOWING EVIL, CORRUPTION, AND VIOLENCE TO CONTINUE?

THEN I JUST MIGHT PIQUE YOUR CURIOSITY A BIT.

LISTEN ONCE MORE TO THE WORDS OF HABAKKUK FROM OUR PASSAGE FOR THIS MORNING:

“O LORD, HOW LONG SHALL I CRY FOR HELP, AND YOU WILL NOT LISTEN?  OR CRY TO YOU ‘VIOLENCE!” AND YOU WILL NOT SAVE?  WHY DO YOU MAKE ME SEE WRONG-DOING AND LOOK AT TROUBLE?

DESTRUCTION AND VIOLENCE ARE BEFORE ME; STRIFE AND CONTENTION ARISE.  SO, THE LAW BECOMES SLACK AND JUSTICE NEVER PREVAILS.  THE WICKED SURROUND THE RIGHTEOUS – THEREFORE JUDGMENT COMES FORTH PERVERTED.”

SOUND FAMILIAR?  HAS ANYTHING MUCH CHANGED IN THE LAST FOUR TO SIX THOUSAND YEARS?!  DO WE NOT STILL ASK THESE VERY SAME QUESTIONS?

WHERE ARE YOU GOD?  WHAT’S UP WITH THIS GOD?  HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO PUT UP WITH EVIL AND SUFFERING AND THINGS BEING LIKE THIS, GOD?

AND THEN, IF IT WEREN’T SO SERIOUS, IT WOULD ALMOST BE COMICAL, BECAUSE HABAKKUK TELLS GOD EXACTLY WHAT HE PLANS TO DO.

(NOW I WANT YOU TO PICTURE HABAKKUK OUT AT FORT ZACH…) HE CLIMBS UP ON THE FORT – TO A WATCH POST; HE STATIONS HIMSELF ALONG THE RAMPARTS OF THE FORT; AND HE SAYS HE IS GOING TO WATCH; AND WAIT; AND LISTEN; AND STAY THERE UNTIL GOD ANSWERS HIS COMPLAINTS.

IT’S ALMOST LIKE THAT SCENE FROM THE MOVIE FORREST GUMP, WHERE LIEUTENANT DAN IS RIDING OUT THE HURRICANE ON THAT SHRIMP BOAT, HIGH ABOVE IN THE RIGGING, SHAKING HIS FIST AT HEAVEN; DARING GOD TO DO HIS WORST; “COME ON GOD, COME AND GET ME!  SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT!!”

IN HABAKKUK’S CASE, HE DIDN’T HAVE TO WAIT VERY LONG FOR GOD’S ANSWER, THOUGH I’M NOT SURE HOW SATISFYING AN ANSWER IT IS.

“THEN THE LORD ANSWERED ME AND SAID; ‘WRITE THE VISION; MAKE IT PLAIN ON TABLETS, SO THAT A RUNNER MAY READ IT.  FOR THERE IS STILL A VISION FOR THE APPOINTED TIME; IT SPEAKS OF THE END, AND DOES NOT LIE.

IF IT SEEMS TO TARRY, WAIT FOR IT; IT WILL SURELY COME, IT WILL NOT DELAY.

LOOK AT THE PROUD!  THEIR SPIRIT IS NOT RIGHT IN THEM, BUT THE RIGHTEOUS LIVE BY FAITH.”

IF THAT SEEMS TO BE WHOLLY, OR IN PART, A LESS THAN HELPFUL ANSWER, IT’S PROBABLY BECAUSE IT IS.

GOD SAYS: HE’S GOT THIS; IT’LL ALL WORK OUT IN THE END; IF IT SEEMS TO BE TAKING A LONG TIME, IT IS; BUT AN ANSWER WILL COME; AND IT WILL BE TRUE;

AND IN THE MEANTIME, THE PROUD, THE HAUGHTY, THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS WILL STILL HOLD FORTH, EVEN THOUGH THEIR SPIRITS DO NOT SEEM RIGHT IN THEM;

AND WHILE ALL OF THIS IS TAKING PLACE – AND THIS IS THE ONLY BRIGHT SPOT IN GOD’S WHOLE ANSWER HERE – “THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH.”

EVEN THE BOTTOM LINE; THE LAST WORD; THE ONLY THING THAT EVEN APPROACHES SOME SORT OF ANSWER FROM GOD SAYS, “YOU WHO BELIEVE, KEEP BELIEVING; LIVE BY FAITH; AND SOONER OR LATER (AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT WILL BE MUCH LATER) EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT.

YOU SEE, RABBI KUSHNER’S RIGHT, WE WILL LIKELY NEVER KNOW WHY BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE; AND THERE MIGHT NOT EVEN BE A WHY;

AND EVEN IF THERE WAS A WHY, IT WOULDN’T NECESSARILY TAKE AWAY THE BAD THINGS, OR THE PAIN, OR THE SUFFERING, THEY CAUSE;

SO, EVEN IF WE COULD UNDERSTAND, WHICH SEEMS UNLIKELY, IT WOULDN’T CHANGE ANYTHING.

SO, WHERE’S THE GOOD NEWS IN ALL OF THIS?  THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT OURS IS A GOD OF PRESENCE.  OURS IS A GOD WHO IS NOT ABSENT IN THE MIDST OF ILLNESS, INJURY, AND SUFFERING, BUT RATHER, A GOD WHO IS SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF IT – WITH US!

WHERE WAS GOD ON 9/11?  WITH THOSE WHO WERE PERISHING IN THE TOWERS; AND WITH THOSE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO WERE RUNNING TOWARD THE BUILDING IN AN EFFORT TO RESCUE THEM.

WHERE IS GOD IN THE MIDST OF ILLNESS, SUFFERING, AND DEATH?  HANGING ON THE CROSS OF WHATEVER CRISIS BEFALLS OUR LIVES – DYING RIGHT ALONGSIDE OF US; BUT AT THE SAME TIME, PROMISING: “TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.

WHERE IS GOD AT MOMENTS LIKE THIS?  THE PROPHET JEREMIAH DISCOVERED THE ANSWER IN HIS OWN SUFFERING, AS HE TOOK ON THE SUFFERING OF HIS PEOPLE, HE WEPT AND CRIED OUT FOR THEM.

JESUS DISCOVERED IT IN BEING FAITHFUL EVEN UNTO DEATH.

YET ANOTHER RABBI, RABBI HESCHEL CALLS IT “DIVINE PATHOS.”

DERIVED FROM THE GREEK, PATHOS MEANS SUFFERING.  COMBINED WITH THE PREFIX SYM (MEANING “WITH”) AND WE HAVE THE NOTION OF SYMPATHY – TO SUFFER WITH.

WHERE IS GOD AMIDST SUFFERING AND DEATH – ESPECIALLY THE DEATH OF THE VIRTUOUS?  IN PSALM 23, THE PSALMIST SUGGESTS THAT GOD IS OUR STRENGTH AND OUR COMFORT, EVEN IN DEATH.

RABBI KUSHNER WRITES IN ANOTHER OF HIS BOOKS BASED UPON THE 23^RD PSALM: “WHEN MY TIME COMES, I WILL FEEL LESS ALONE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT GOD IS NOT ONLY GRIEVING FOR ME BUT IS WITH ME AT THAT MOMENT.”

I THINK – WE KNOW HOW HE FEELS.  AND I THINK – WE KNOW JUST HOW THE PROPHET HABAKKUK FELT IN ASKING HIS QUESTIONS ABOUT “WHERE’S GOD?” AND “WHY IS VIOLENCE AND EVIL ALL AROUND ME?”

AND I ALSO THINK WE KNOW HOW HE FEELS, WHEN IT SEEMS, THAT GOD’S ANSWER OF WAIT AND SEE; THE ANSWER IS COMING AT THE END; TRUST ME; BELIEVE IN ME; SEEMS LESS AN ANSWER THAN WE MIGHT HOPE FOR.

HERE’S THE OTHER THING I WOULD LIKE US TO THINK ABOUT THIS MORNING ABOUT OUR KNOWING HOW HE (SHE, THEY) FEEL IN ANY GIVEN SITUATION.

I THINK; I THINK, THIS JUST MAY BE THE ONE BRIGHT SPOT; THE SLIVER OF A SILVER LINING; THE SLIMMEST OF GOOD NEWS; WE SEE AND BEGIN TO LEARN IN THE EVIL, SUFFERING, AND WICKEDNESS OF LIFE, AND OF THE WORLD AROUND US.

HERE’S WHAT I MEAN.  WHEN PEOPLE START TALKING ABOUT “BLACK LIVES MATTER” AND “BLUE LIVES MATTER” AND “ALL LIVES MATTER” WHEN WE HEAR THOSE STORIES; WHEN WE LIVE THOSE STORIES, EVEN IF VICARIOUSLY, WE BEGIN TO KNOW – EVER SO SLIGHTLY – HOW IT FEELS TO BE THEM.

HOW IT FEELS TO BE A PERSON OF COLOR, OF A DIFFERENT ETHNIC ORIGIN, OF A DIFFERENT CULTURAL BACKGROUND; HOW IT CAN FEEL TO BE PROFILED, TARGETED, HARASSED, AND EVEN KILLED FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN THAT.

WHEN THEY TELL THEIR STORIES, WHEN WE SEE THEM SPLASHED ACROSS THE EVENING NEWS, WE GET THE SLIMMEST OF IDEAS OF WHAT LIFE IS LIKE FOR THEM.

AND WHEN THE SPOUSE OF A POLICE OFFICER TELLS US WHAT IT’S LIKE TO KISS THEIR SPOUSE GOOD-BYE EACH DAY OR NIGHT, WONDERING IF THEY’LL RETURN AT THE END OF THEIR SHIFT, WE GET THE MEAGEREST OF IDEAS OF WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE THEM; TO BE PART OF THEIR FAMILY.

AND WHEN WOMEN COME FORWARD TO TELL THE STORIES OF HOW THEY HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY HARASSED, HASSLED, ABUSED, AND MOLESTED IN THEIR LIVES, WE – EVER, EVER SO SLIGHTLY – BEGIN TO KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE THEM.

WHEN PEOPLE SHARE THEIR CANCER JOURNEYS; THEIR YEARS OF ALCOHOLISM; THEIR STORIES OF BEING ABUSED AS CHILDREN; OF BEING RAPED WHILE IN COLLEGE; WE BEGIN – JUST BARELY BEGIN – THE PROCESS OF UNDERSTANDING THEM AND WHAT THEY’VE BEEN THROUGH.

AND WE’VE ALL, TO ONE EXTENT OR ANOTHER; SOME TO A GREATER EXTENT, AND SOME TO A LESSER EXTENT, HAVE BEEN THROUGH SOMETHING.

LET’S THANK GOD, THANK OUR LUCKY STARS, THANK OUR PARENTS AND OUR UPBRINGING, THANK WHATEVER EARTHLY AND OTHER-THAN-EARTHLY FORCES THERE ARE OUT THERE, IF WE’VE HAD IT RELATIVELY EASY IN LIFE;

AND WHEN WE HEAR THE STORIES OF OTHERS WHO HAVE NOT, LET’S TAKE A MOMENT, AND MORE THAN A MOMENT, LET’S TAKE A LIFETIME OF LISTENING TO THEM, AND TRYING… AT LEAST TRYING, TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY FEEL.

IT’S NOT WHY BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE, IT’S WHEN.  AND THEY WILL INEVITABLY HAPPEN TO OTHERS, AND TO US, AND TO THOSE WE LOVE.

THE LEAST WE CAN DO, THE VERY LEAST WE CAN DO, IS TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW IT FEELS TO BE THEM; TO WALK A MILE IN THEIR SHOES; TO EMPATHIZE AND SYMPATHIZE WITH THEIR PAIN;

AND TO DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER, TO MAKE SURE AS FEW A PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE EVER GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN – WHATEVER THAT IS.

WE CAN’T PREVENT EVERYTHING FROM HAPPENING, BUT WE CAN PREVENT SOME THINGS FROM HAPPENING.  WE CAN NEVER RID THE WORLD OF EVIL, BUT WE CAN RID IT OF SOME EVILS, SOME OF THE TIME.

WE CAN NEVER STOP SUFFERING ALTOGETHER, BUT WE CAN ALLEVIATE SOME SUFFERING.

WE MAY NOT KNOW WHY BUT WE CAN KNOW WHEN;

AND LIKE THE GOD IN WHOM WE BELIEVE, WE CAN BE WITH THE ONES WHO ARE SUFFERING; WE CAN SUFFER WITH THEM; WE CAN BE THERE FOR THEM;

AND WE CAN BE THE BEARERS OF GOOD NEWS – THAT GOD IS WITH THEM AS WELL; AND THAT SOMETIMES TRAGEDY CAN BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GOD TO DO SOMETHING GREAT.

IT WON’T ANSWER THE QUESTION OF “WHY?”  IT WILL NOT TAKE AWAY THEIR PAIN AND SUFFERING.  IT WILL NOT PROVIDE INSTANT RELIEF.  BUT IT MAY JUST MAKE THEM FEEL A LITTLE LESS ALONE THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE FELT OTHERWISE.