A Wine Before Breakfast Meditation on Isaiah 58
by Joanna Manning
A couple of weeks ago, I came across an article in the Toronto Star called ‘We have to pay the rent in Attawapiskat’ The author, Catherine Murton Stoehr who teaches history at Nipissing University, had this to say about the situation that is unfolding at the native reserve:
Stephen Harper is encouraging Canadians to continue believing that we are the generous benefactors of the First Nations People, but this is not true. They have been OUR benefactors since the days of the fur trade, and as a result, we have become one of the wealthiest societies in human history. The bad news is that we have been left holding the bag, and the profits from a 200 year old land heist.
‘Holding the bag’ for past generations is a way of describing what the author of Isaiah 58 is talking about. The faithful remnant of Israel returns from exile in Babylon to the ruined city of Jerusalem. So much for the joyful longing of restoration that we had met in Isaiah 40 to 55. The city that was once the site of so much glory lacks all the government machinery of a kingdom, the religious organization of a temple, the safety of city walls and the security of a workable economy.
But isn’t this very similar to the situation we post-Christendom Christians find ourselves in today? Many churches are empty, some are being sold off, we can’t pay the heating bills for others, and overall membership is in decline. Read the rest of this entry »
