6 October 201327th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The minor prophets: Their messages were often short, but seldom sweet!
Today we meet Habakkuk (Ha-BAK-uk), one of the twelve minor prophets--"minor" in the sense that their writings are brief.
The minor prophets may not be verbose, but their messages are no less compelling than Isaiah, Ezekiel or Jeremiah (the major prophets).Recall, prophets were spokespersons for both God and humanity. While chastising national leadership for the disregard of justice, prophets appealed to the ear of God to listen to the cries of his people.
The prophets’ struggles were also internal, spiritual ones, shaping a heightened sensitivity to injustice and suffering. As they were not afraid to call their wayward leaders to task, they sometimes even questioned God’s divine judgment of the world. Habakkuk’s short book is this kind of challenge to the divine order.
The opening plea in today’s reading resonates within our own hearts: “How long, O Lord? I cry for help, but you do not listen, you do not intervene.” Many times our persistent prayer seems to fall on God’s "deaf" ears.
That's how it seemed to Habakkuk, who lived in the years just before Israel's exile to Babylon. When he understood that God would use Babylon to chasten Israel, Habakkuk is appalled and asks, "WHY?"
But the Lord reassures the prophet that the discord, violence and strife must “press on to fulfillment” for purposes God wasn't sharing.
Habakkuk stands faithful in the midst of his confusion, and the Book of Habakkuk ends with a beautiful prayer of remembrance of God’s mercy. In spite of the impending doom about to befall Judah, Habakkuk can still rejoice in God’s goodness. And that certainly takes faith!
Habakkuk knows, deep down, that when all is completed, God will not disappoint us. But in the meantime, it's hard to wait.Can waiting in itself be constructive or redeeming? Can our “waiting on the Lord” itself teach us something about our human limitations and our need to struggle sometimes. Can God use our waiting and our struggles to fashion us into God's new creation?
When we, like the ancient peoples, are asked to wait for God’s will to “press on to fulfillment,” let us stand firm with Habakkuk. By waiting in faith, we may even become God's own miracle.
The author, Ms. Barbara Gawle, leads Bible studies at her parish, Incarnation Church of Wethersfield, CT. She is a CBS graduate and the 2012 recipient of the Biblical School's highest award, The Lawrence Boadt Memorial Medal.
Editor: BJ Daly Horell
