Job 38:1-7, 34-41; 42:1-6 Who’s in Charge Here?

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In this moment in history, we are faced with life and death situations that
challenge our worldview, theology and relationships. We are faced with changes in
the world’s climate that impact the life and breath of every creature. We are faced
with specific acts of hatred and bigotry like the murders in Pittsburgh, that bring
terror and dread to our hearts and minds. We are faced with the tragedy of illness in
the lives of our loved ones, and in our own bodies. We are faced with the possibility
that no one is in charge – that we are spinning out of control in our common and
personal lives. We are faced with events that put in question the value of human life,
the purpose of boundaries and borders, and whether compassion is abundant or in
limited supply.
We are experiencing the life of Job. People of the Jewish faith as a whole are
experiencing the life of Job. Any individual across the world who is suffering for no
apparent reason, is experiencing the life of Job.
In no uncertain terms, we are assured in scripture and in our human
experience that God is in charge, that we have voice in creating change, that it is
possible to inspire a reformation of belief and practice, and that compassion has no
bounds. Much of this perspective hinges on the tone with which you hear God’s
voice responding to Job. Job finally reaches his limit and questioned God, demanding
answers for his suffering. His understanding how God works in the world was falling
apart. Everything he thought was true no longer held true, such as: Good acts are
rewarded and People who were sick or troubled are living the consequences of sin.
He wanted answers. So God answered.

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 A common interpretation of God’s response to Job is divine sarcasm. I
resonate with this tone, because I experience sarcasm and snarkiness on a regular
basis. [Okay, maybe I dish out sarcasm and snarkiness, too!] I recognize the edge in
God’s voice – Where were YOU when I created the world? Can you call lightning,
clouds, rain and thunder to fill the sky? Hmm? Who are you to question me? Do YOU
hear and respond to every living thing on earth? I didn’t think so.
This reading of God’s response certainly puts humanity in our place. We are
shamed into acknowledging that we are tiny, and have no right to question why God
would cause or allow things in life that we consider negative or evil. It is beyond our
knowing, so we should just sit on our hands and hush up.
There is another way to hear God’s voice. Another tone that is far from
sarcastic. Another attitude that does not belittle, but offers an opportunity for a
change / a reformation of our own perspective. What if we hear God’s voice as the
voice of a poet describing the mysteries of the universe?
Who determined the measurements of the earth—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk,
who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly
beings shouted for joy?
Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that a flood of waters may cover you?
Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’?
Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens, when the dust runs into a mass
and the clods cling together?
This interpretation re-forms God’s intent in our minds. No longer are we being
slammed for questioning and shamed for speaking up. We are being reminded of the
sovereignty of God. We are invited into the divine presence to understand grandeur

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even in the midst of calamity around us. We are encouraged to be humble in the face
of devastation, and to marvel at what God has put in place. It is not a “don’t-worry-
be-happy” message, it is an “I’ve got you in my care” message.
When we are in the midst of political mudslinging, rampant gun violence,
multiple natural disasters and crumbling relationships, God speaks to us poetically,
reshaping our thinking and our way of being.
When we walk into church unsure of how to deal with the wolrd’s woes, and
hear the glory of the sopranos in the choir singing a high C, we are lifted up and
invited to entertain the idea that indeed there is a Spirit great that we, who can
conquer even the deaths of 11 worshipers in a synagogue at the hands of an
individuals filled with distortion, hate and a small world view.
When we walk into church unsure of how to deal with the world’s woes and
see the spectacular tree out front, we are reminded of the Tree of Life Congregation
that will come together and continue to worship as a sign that love overcomes hate.
There are two letters in the narthex addressed to the two temples here in
Evanston – Beth Emet and the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation. If you wish to
join me in signing these letters, please do so after church.
This is what the letter says:

October 28, 2018

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We write to you on this day following the horrific tragedy in Pittsburgh, where 11 people died at
the Tree of Life Synagogue.

We denounce the hate and bigotry these murders represent, and join you in mourning the deaths,
injuries and trauma inflicted by the grievous sin of an individual. The mindset he represents is not
shared in our community of faith at First Congregational Church of Evanston. We stand with you in
love, and in the hope of peace, in the face of overwhelming intolerance in our society.

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You are a valuable and powerful presence in our city – a beacon of faithfulness, social activism and
kindness. Our prayers surround you for a deep and abiding freedom from the fear of mortals, and
for confidence in divine shelter that is beyond our comprehension.

May our common faith in a compassionate God draw us closer together.

Ready to be at your service,
Members and Friends of First Congregational Church of Evanston, UCC

It is my hope that this letter encompasses an expression of shared sadness and the
hope of moving forward in God’s care.
As mulltiple communities rise up in support of our brothers and sisters at risk
of being targets of hatred, may we be like Job who said, “I had heard of you by the
hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you.” Our eyes see that the death of
innocents and the death of innocence is not the last word. We are able to draw on
the everlasting sovereignty and strength of God to repent of our desire to remain
helpless, and riseup out of the ashes of mourning to call to God and be filled with
divine, poetic majesty, so that we can be the presence of life in the face of death.
Amen.

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Job 38:1-7, 34-41
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: “Who is this that darkens counsel
by words without knowledge? Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and
you shall declare to me.
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have
understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who
stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its
cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings
shouted for joy? “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that a flood of waters
may cover you? Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go and say to you,
‘Here we are’? Who has put wisdom in the inward parts, or given understanding to
the mind? Who has the wisdom to number the clouds? Or who can tilt the
waterskins of the heavens, when the dust runs into a mass and the clods cling
together? “Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young
lions, when they crouch in their dens, or lie in wait in their covert? Who provides for
the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God, and wander about for lack of
food?

Job 42:1-6, 10
Then Job answered the Lord: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose
of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me,
which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to
me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees
you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and
the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.