Two well-dressed probably-a-little-older-than me little Black ladies came up our front steps today as I was making breakfast. They had masks and Bibles and were startled when I came to the door. They wanted to know if I believed that one day this world could be a Paradise – and I told them that yes, yes I did actually – but that it was going to be something that started with each and every one of us – and that for me personally it was going to have to start with not burning my breakfast. I apologized that I didn’t have time to talk to them further and excused myself. They asked if I had a Bible (I do) and asked that I read 37 : 29 and I said “37, 29 – both Prime numbers” and I went back to my frying pan and looked up the verse.
“The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.”
Well – I wish I was a faster thinker. I’ve certainly heard that verse and I wish I could’ve quoted it at them. I wish I was a faster thinker because Paradise is the next town over. I wish I was a faster thinker because there are different implications when one says “yes, but I shalt not enter that Paradise if I burn my wife’s breakfast” because that is more sympathetic than simply talking of my OWN breakfast.
All in all I wish I’d already had my coffee – for without coffee I couldn’t think to ask – tell me of the righteous that you find on a street in Baltimore City at 10.30am on a Friday morning? Who else are you talking with this morning? How could you NOT believe in the potential of a Paradise? I could exude optimism this morning as the sunshine is bright and beautiful, autumn leaves are falling, the air is crisp and you are safe to walk my street today. Indeed, the door you walked up to is open and unlocked and I’m waiting my friends who, in this strange and wonderful world, are also my coworkers, and we’re going to work on the music that we create which is beloved by a strange, small, but fervent crowd of people who buoyed us up through a global pandemic.
But what a strange thought : “For the LORD loves justice and will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off. The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.…”
There is no vengeance here, we just wait, doing the right thing, and we’ll get what’s coming to us (but in a good way). There isn’t even the implication that justice or vengeance shall fall upon the wicked per se. Sucks for their kids though.
Honestly, it WOULD be nice if my landlord saw it this way. “You guys have been great and have cast no sin visible to MY eye and so unto thee I place the deed of thy hizouse and surrounding tiny strip of land! Go forth and don’t sin or I’ll take it from any kids you might suddenly decide to have.”
Alas, tis not how the Force works. But it WOULD be nice to get this crop of Warrior Christ fools out of our popular culture and replace them with the kind of Believer that spouted the idea that we don’t get violent with our righteous anger, you just hold tight and it’ll all get sorted out by God.
At least, you know, they wouldn’t try to overthrow the government because they know their God would get around to it EVENTUALLY.