Painting Revelation Blog

Wedding Platter

“A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.”

Almost a year ago our daughter was married. As a gift to me for hosting the wedding and reception at our house, she had this family tree platter made for me. She asked my husband to find out my favorite Bible verse and I told him Isaiah 42:3, which she had inscribed at the bottom of the tree. I found this verse many years ago, not long after I experienced God’s rescuing love. I saw myself in the weak images of a bruised reed and a dimly burning wick. But I must confess I have not spent much time contemplating the end of the verse: He will faithfully bring forth justice.

This past Sunday a Catholic priest gave the teaching at our Protestant church. We are going verse by verse through the Sermon on the Mount and his text was Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. Father Sirico offered an insight I am still pondering. He said that our passion for justice is a form of grief. We mourn not just evil, but the tragedy that what becomes evil or unjust, cruel and neglectful could have been great. We mourn the lost potential, the love and joy, peace and health that God intends for all people.

I had coffee with a new friend last week and was taken off guard—and delighted—by her comments on the health care debate: Health care is a human right and not a benefit for those who can afford it, she said. So often those with money and access to health care say they shouldn’t be forced to have lesser care, but why should anyone have lesser care? Where does our sense of entitlement come from? Why don’t we want to pool our resources so everyone is helped? I was born into a family with financial abundance. I grew up with many privileges, but I still became a bruised reed, a very dimly burning wick. I became poor in spirit. I mourned. And because of my desperate situation, I was invited into the kingdom of heaven. I received comfort not because of my wealth and education or my standing in society, but because God loves the broken.

Let’s not harden our hearts; let’s not insulate ourselves from the reality of pain. Let’s be brave enough to mourn, believing God will faithfully bring forth justice.

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