Reading my favorite prophet Jeremiah again today (Jeremiah 33)-my take away was a rope of Hope lassoed to Love! Sorry, i get little mini-homilies when i read on Sundays! Must be in my blood.

Jeremiah was looking out over a ruined city, still cindering, and a nation, still in tumult, and, after having lamented long, prophesied restoration and healing.

What a weird time to proclaim Joy, and wedding laughter. That the sound of party laughter would return. That all the scatted animals would one day come home!

Our times are very similar to Jeremiah’s! His life and times are a map for me.

Also Jeremiah represented what a real human was meant to be doing during such times of tumult and shaking. Lament with God, and proclaim hope and restoration, based on who God is. Woe and Hope go together in God. Woe with Hope! That hope rope he threw them is still needed!

Suffering while still tethered to Love’s endlessly long rope of Hope, is the way forward. Let’s throw one another Jeremiah’s hope rope these days.

This guy, in his personal life, was in a pit once, and and african man threw him one. As we look at the ruins, let’s prophecy hope, healing and restoration in one another’s direction friends.

Let’s overtly care about one another’s lives. Let’s go out of our way to rescue one another from the pits we find ourselves in-even, and especially the mental pits.

Let’s lasso one another away from hopelessness and depression, from unnecessary contentions, from useless cynicisms given the hope of healing and restoration; and, instead let’s lasso that Horse of Hope galloping forward in the strength of Love which pulls us out from all our wells of darkness, and ride it home! At least, that’s how Jeremiah rolled in his times! Jeremiah was tethered to something Higher! He was a prophetic cowboy in that sense! Let’s lasso the stars friends while stuck in the mud!