Home
>
Spirituality
>
A People in Exile (Part 1)

A People in Exile (Part 1)

Second Isaiah, so called because his book of prophecy was affixed to Isaiah's, had the ability to interpret events in the light of the fundamental conviction that God was the supreme director of all movements of history. He spent most of his life proclaiming to his people, their deliverance and restoration. It was all so certain to this prophet that he saw it already accomplished. The power of religion has seldom been more beautifully expressed. The prophet's own experience; his own enthusiasm, his own optimism shines through his words as clearly as sunlight shines through a window.

The portrait presented to us in Isaiah by this nameless prophet of God depicts a troubled people in a troubled land.

Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion. Isaiah 52:1-2 (NIV).

The Israelites were struggle weary, hopeless, a haggard group of people who were dried out from suffering. In the great Babylonian civilization they constantly felt the tremendous power of the Chaldean Empire. Its mighty armies, gigantic buildings and great material wealth had crushed all hope out of their hearts. This poor lifeless despondent group of Jewish slaves succumbed to the idea that Babylon was far too mighty, far too powerful to be overthrown. They were a troubled people in a troubled land.

I ruminated over the fact that there are so many today who feel exactly the way the Israelites felt. A mood of disillusion has take possession of our lives. The dark cloud of apprehension and fear hangs over us. A sense of futility has somehow overlaid our hopes and taken captive our faith. Instead of us determining our own course, forces beyond our control seem to determine it for us. Many, many folks today feel powerless and frustrated. Many have not only lost their sense of internal reference, but they have also lost their sense of direction.

Washington, the seat of government, cannot ease our mental stress because we realize that even after Watergate, Camp David, peace talks, arms limitations, treaties and new presidents; the situation in this world is still grave.

While some of us are dying from overeating, people all around the world die daily of starvation. The sharp sword of nuclear holocaust dangles impatiently over our heads. There is weather upset, fuel crisis, mindless crime, political corruption at all levels. And, as if this wasn't enough, our own personal and individual problems appear to be mounting. Some folks because of the price hard times entail and some, caught up in the conflict of these times are being torn asunder.

Life is restless. It's untamed and moody and perilous. Life does not flatter you. It offers you toil and labor. It has in its bosom every possible danger in many modes of death: famine, fire, shipwreck, earthquake, hurricanes, plane crashes, cold, snow storms, and tornadoes.

We are born, no reason given. We just suddenly become aware one day that we are man or woman, an African pigmy, an Egyptian Pharaoh, a Chinese coolie, Abraham Lincoln or Jeffrey Dalmer. We are ushered into the Stone Age or Dark Age or Age of Technology. We inherit according to birth; belief in voodoo, Christianity, atheism or Judaism. We are born into this world to live and yet many die in infancy. Others, due to some unfortunate twist in fate, die in middle life and others live to a ripe old age.

And then we ask ourselves upon what principles are we allotted our looks. What is it that makes us ugly or attractive or "plain?" What is it that gives us a musical ear or an artistic eye; an affectionate disposition or an uncontrollable temper, a talent for mathematics or skills of language?

What about these frames in which we live with their tiresome demands and endless complaints. Our bodies do as they please with us. They become coronary prone, diabetic, emphysemic, burdened down with cancer. They mar our best intentions. They reinforce that which is low in us and keep our bodies in need of constant repair.

When you consider nature as our mother, she certainly is not the best of teachers.

(continued in Part 2)

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available in July.

express cleaning service Arlington Heights ..

In The News:

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

A People in Exile (Part 1)

Spirituality