19 ‘I called to my lovers,
The Revised English Bible (Cambridge; New York; Melbourne; Madrid; Cape Town; Singapore; São Paulo; Delhi; Dubai; Tokyo: Cambridge University Press, 1996), La 1:19.
but they let me down;
my priests and my elders
perished in the city
while seeking food
to keep themselves alive.
Sometimes I meditate on these passages for a long time before I come up with what I want to say. Other days, the passage just shoves a topic in my face. This one is even related to the historical context of the verse more closely than usual!
What connections do you build in your life?
It’s a serious question. Many of us, myself definitely included, tend to gather friends and associates randomly. I’m rarely the one who pushes in and initiates a friendship. Others invite me. It’s not that I think others should have the responsibility of accommodating themselves to me. Rather, I’m just slow to figure out valid and constructive social connections.
This verse presents the remnant of Judah in mourning. Their lovers let them down. Priests and elders are dead, and they died taking care of themselves, not their community. The failure is complete. In distress you turn to your support system. What happens if they aren’t there?
There are two categories here I want to look at. “Lovers” in this passage represents friendships and social connections. Multiple lovers was a metaphor used frequently for the way Israel and Judah tended to look at the religions of the nations around them and pick up whatever looked good.
Social connection without commitment will leave you empty and alone when trouble starts. Israel had contact with the nations around, but when what was left of the kingdom was in trouble, there was nobody there to help. In fact, the book of Obadiah is directed at the Edomites who were ready to go scavenge the corpse.
We use the term commitment primarily of marriage, I think, but commitment should also be an aspect of friendship. A friend who is there for the easy part but stays away when things get tough is not much of a friend.
What about your church community? What type of commitment have you made to that community? Is it just a plan to attend and get whatever benefit possible, but if somebody offends you or things get tough, you’re on your way?
What about the attitude of the church to you? Is the commitment mutual? I often hear church leaders talk about how they want committed members. They complain about lack of commitment and look at ways to seek more commitment from members. But if any member asks what they get from this relationship, there is annoyance, even anger. You’re supposed to be here to serve, not to be served!
But in a good relationship the commitment goes both ways. People want to be fed in Sunday School and church. The church leaders wonder why people are just expecting to get, get, get. Good point! The members should be looking to serve. But to serve, they will need to receive.
And that relationship question can be reversed as well. Why is it so annoying when people want to receive from the church? Is it possible that the church doesn’t feel a commitment to its members? In a time of trouble will a member end up saying, “All my friends have let me down?”
Service is an important and essential part of Christian life. But watch out for the person–or the organization–that demands but does not give.
Can people in trouble come to you? Do you have a community you can depend on?