This passage from the book of Jeremiah describes several examples of Jeremiah telling those around him to repent of their mistakes, to heed God’s warnings and to follow his directions. There are examples of individuals attempting to ignore these warnings in various ways. There are also examples of individuals attempting to stand up for God by speaking out in Jeremiah’s defense.
The passage reminds me of the numerous examples in history or even in my own experience where there is a choice between right and wrong. The many examples where you can go along with the status quo, ignore the injustice or assume that someone else will do something about it. This can be a grave mistake, to ignore a situation that is wrong and assume that it isn’t that bad or that someone else will do something about it.
Every day we are faced with numerous decisions. Some are mundane but others could have a profound impact on even one other person’s situation. I was a schoolteacher for seven years before moving into my current role. Occasionally, I would witness situations where a student was being picked on or marginalized when all they wanted was to blend in or go about their day. It wasn’t always obvious and sometimes the student would have to come to me first because I wasn’t even aware, but in hindsight could see the signs. There were other examples where I might know the right thing to do but instead chose the easy path thinking that nobody else would notice.
Questions for reflection:
- What is most influential in your life: what other people think or say, or what God wants?
- Where have you ignored the word of God hoping that nobody else will notice or that it might just go away?
- What is an opportunity that you might otherwise ignore to stand up for what is right and speak in support of someone who needs it?