Gaudete! Rejoice! Humbug…What’s there to rejoice about anyway? That’s how the Israelites would have responded when this prophecy was first proclaimed by Zephaniah. The whole world was going crazy and the country was in deep trouble….
Things were going from bad to worse – the leaders of the country had abandoned morality and instead they honored the gods of money, power, sex, and personal freedom. Child sacrifice to false gods was becoming normal. Most people had abandoned the faith handed down to them from their parents. People who still followed religion were looked down upon and ridiculed. Zephaniah could read the writing on the wall….It was obvious that God was not going to let this continue – that bad things were going to happen… not as punishment, but as a consequence… and as a way for God to bring the country back to himself.
That’s what the prophecy from Zephaniah is about… in most of the book, he is warning of the impending doom – begging them to change their ways. You see – he is prophesying BEFORE the exile… before the darkness has closed in. But in the snippet we hear in today’s first reading, he’s looking BEYOND the upcoming darkness to the time when the Messiah would come. He’s looking BEYOND the upcoming exile to the time when God the Father would rescue His people. Rather than let His people sit in complete despair, God offers this ray of hope – like a flashlight – or a candle– so that when the darkness comes, they have this hope to hold-on to. The darkness will not last forever… the sun will rise again. The Lord is Near – our God is in our midst. THIS is good news.
Obviously, this message was meant for Israel… not us, right?... We can’t imagine living in a country that has abandoned morality… that sacrifices its children to the gods of money, power, sex, and personal freedom. We can’t imagine living in a country where people have walked away from the Faith – walked away from the TRUTH - and those who do follow religion are ridiculed.
If you’ve watched any news in the last couple of years, you know that Zephaniah’s prophecy applies to every age – including ours – where the darkness is creeping in. It is a message of hope. It reminds us to Stand fast – even rejoice in our sufferings because the darkness does not win. The Lord is Near – our God is in our midst. Do you think God gets all anxious watching the nightly news? God’s GOT this! The light will return… He already has a plan to rescue us even before the darkness closes in.
31 years ago this week, an earthquake devastated the northwestern section of Armenia, killing an estimated 25,000 persons. In one small town, immediately after the earthquake, a father’s first thought was ‘MY SON!’. He rushed to the local elementary school, only to find that the school had been flattened and there was no sign of life.
But without hesitation, he started digging… it never occurred to him NOT to dig. This father concentrated his efforts on the spot where he believed his son's classroom had been. He kept repeating what he had often told his son, "No matter what, I'll always be there for you when you need me!"
Many other parents flocked to the area. Many didn’t even bother digging… it was hopeless… there’s no way anyone survived that collapse. Some did help – but after an hour or two, gave up.
So, he proceeded alone – through the day and into the night… for 8 hours... for 12 hours... 24 hours... 36 hours. Then in the 38th hour, as he heaved away a heavy piece of rubble, he heard voices. He screamed his son’s name, "Armand!" "Dad! It's me”! Then, he heard his son turn to the other kids in the hole saying – “See- I told you he would come!”
Moments later, the dad was helping his son Armand and 13 other frightened, hungry, thirsty boys and girls climb out of the debris. Out of the darkness and into the light! They were as good as dead, but he had brought them back to life! The father embraced his son and said – ‘sorry it took so long, son…were you scared? Armand said – ‘it was so dark and scary – many of the kids were crying… but I told them – ‘My Father promised no matter what, he’d always be there if I needed him. – so he WILL save me...and if he can save me he can save you too.’
God - OUR Heavenly Father, is in the rescue business. THAT is the Good News. You and I were trapped in darkness of our sin until Jesus came to save us. What’s more, that promise from the father continues for us today even as the darkness closes in around us… The Lord is Near. That’s where the Peace beyond all Understanding comes from that Paul mentioned in the second reading.
What’s that look like anyway, this ‘peace beyond all understanding’?
It means that when the world is falling in around us, when it makes no sense at all to still have hope – we can trust that Our God IS IN OUR MIDST! God has a plan to rescue us from the darkness even before it gets dark!!
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