Daily Reading: 3 February
(from www.christianaid.org.uk)
Raise your voice.
Something to read
But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, “I am only a boy”; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,’ says the Lord.
- Jeremiah 1:7-8 from full reading Jeremiah 1:4-10.
Something to think about
I wonder if you ever feel like nobody is listening to you? It’s infuriating and disheartening; it can make us stop talking.
When we feel like nobody listens to us, we give up trying to voice our opinion and we settle for the status quo. This can allow unjust structures to remain in place. Those with authority and power attend to their own needs and priorities, and those living in poverty, at best, remain as poor as they have ever been.
The prophetic voice we encounter in scripture cannot be silenced, because it has been empowered by God. At the beginning of Jeremiah, the young prophet feels nobody will listen to him because he is a boy, but God is with him and reminds him of that. God also reminds him that he speaks with God’s authority and strength. Through the book, God uses Jeremiah to speak to the nation of Israel.
When we speak out against injustice, we can feel silenced. Yet, like Jeremiah, God calls us to raise our voice for the voiceless. We can feel empowered because God is with us, inviting us to join in and work to bring justice and stand with the oppressed and powerless.
Something to do
Use your voice to campaign for justice both where you live and across the world. Look at the campaign pages of the Christian Aid website and see how your voice can make a difference.
Something to pray
God of Justice,
Your voice cries out for those who suffer,
for those who live in the burden of poverty and injustice.
You invite us to use our voices to echo your call of hope
that justice will flow like a river and this world will be changed.
Strengthen us to accept your invitation
to use our voices to cry out for change
and to build your Kingdom
for the sake of your son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Today’s contributor is Andy Stinson. A disciple, husband, dad, deacon and priest. At the time of writing Andy is Rector of Barrow (near Chester) and Worship and Liturgy Missioner for Chester Diocese.