A warning from the Prophet Isaiah!

The Church I attend on most Sundays, Leeds Parish, is not “political.” During the Presidential election run-up, Bush and Carey bumper stickers were more-or-less equally distributed in the parking lot on Sunday mornings. Moreover, weekly Bible readings, from the Old Testament, the Epistles and the Gospels are, I believe, prescribed by the Anglican Communion. Not being an Episcopalian, though I was baptized as one, I don’t understand the selection process exactly.

Nonetheless, this week’s Old Testament Reading, from the book of the Prophet Isaiah (59: 1-4; 9-19) seemed timely. I quote:

“.See the Lord’s hand is not too short to save, nor his ear to dull to hear. Rather, your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters wickedness. No one brings suit justly, no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, conceiving mischief and begetting iniquity. Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us; we wait for light, and lo! there is darkness; and for brightness, but we walk in gloom. We grope like the blind along a wall, groping like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon in the twilight, among the vigorous as though we were dead. We all growl like bears; like doves we moan mournfully.

“We wait for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us. For our transgressions before you are many, and our sins testify against us. Our transgressions indeed are with us and we know our iniquities; transgressing and denying the Lord, and turning away from following our God, talking oppression and revolt, conceiving lying words and uttering them from the heart. Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands at a distance; for truth stumbles in the in the public square, and uprightness cannot enter.

“The Lord saw it and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw there was no one; and was appalled that there was no one to intervene., so his own arm brought him victory and his righteousness upheld him….

“According to their deeds, so will he repay; wrath to his adversaries, requital to his enemies; to the coastlands he will render requital. So those in the west shall fear the name of the Lord and those in the east, his glory; for he will come like a pent-up stream that the wind of the Lord drives on.”