Scripture: Jeremiah 7:9-10 – “Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are safe!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?” (NRSV-UE)
One of my favorite parts of C. S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is when the Pevensie children are hiding out with Mr. and Mrs. Beaver and learning about the dangers of the magical land of Narnia, currently under the tyrannical rule of the White Witch. But Mr. Beaver has hope; Aslan is on the move. Mr. Beaver describes him as the Great King returning to save Narnia, but when the children think he is a man, Mr. Beaver says that he is a lion. The children are worried about whether a lion would be safe. Mr. Beaver replies, “Safe? … Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”
In Lewis’ highly allegorical novel, Aslan represents Christ, a mighty savior who sacrifices himself to overcome the Satanic forces which have conquered the world. Such a Lord is not, as the children wish, safe. And neither is our God. But in our quest to justify our worldly ways of doing things, we often claim safety for ourselves, but not for those unlike us.
Some believe that God is merciful and loving to all people, overlooking transgressions so that all might ultimately be reconciled. Others believe that God is good to those who believe and wrathful to those who do not, casting them with contempt into eternal suffering. Both camps see themselves as safe and the other as dangerous. And both have it at least a little bit wrong.
In the Book of Jeremiah, the prophet preach doom for the people of Judah because of their wicked ways. They ignored him, saying that since God lives in their holy Temple, they would always be safe. But like with Aslan, hoping something is safe is not the same as it being safe. To Jeremiah, persisting in breaking commandments against theft, murder, adultery, false witness, and idolatry nullifies the hope of finding safety in the sanctuary of God.
When looking at the unsafe God, both sides claim that the other have fallen into sin because of how they, like the ancient Israelites, had accommodated to the ways of the world. One side believes that those other people say that are safe because they believe, but then prioritize the gathering of wealth and threats of violence against their enemies. The other side claims that those who preach a universally forgiving God are wrapped too much in worldly ways of thinking, too permissive in their sexuality, and too humanistic in the belief that humanity can find their own salvation and happiness outside of God. Only the God of justice or the God of spiritual salvation is safe.
But as Lewis reminds us, God is not safe. God does not want a people who assume that being nice to one another is going to solve the worlds problems. God does not want a people who pray and work to save their souls while the world in some cases literally burns around them. God wants people who take their faith seriously, who investigate their sinful actions and inactions and work for personal repentance and social reconciliation. Then God expects people to follow the commandments to bring relief to those who suffer most so that all may have their basic needs met and can live in hope and not fear. God wants an end to poverty and environmental degradation as much as God wants us to believe in a God who forgives our sins and guides us to make such a world as reality. So, do not pray to a safe God, but to a good God and you will have goodness and ultimately safety in your life and your community.
Prayer: God, make me good as you are good so that I may work for the safety and happiness of my neighbors. Amen.
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