Isaiah 26:1-6
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Isaiah 26

Song of Trust in God’s Protection

 1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
   “We have a strong city;
He sets up walls and ramparts for security.
2 “Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter,
The one that remains faithful.
3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in You.
4 “Trust in the LORD forever,
For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.
5 “For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city;
He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.
6 “The foot will trample it,
The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the helpless.”


Tonight, the Advent retreat calls for prayerful reflection on Scripture as opposed to Ignatian contemplation. I am supposed to think about what the text is saying, what it is saying to me, and what does the text make me want to say to God.

Oh, Old Testament, you are a formidable foe. The NT is so accessible to me, and then I try to deconstruct this...I like what it says about trust, though. That trust in God brings peace, which is ultimately a gift of God, and that trust brings us closer to God, and God closer to us.

Verses 5 and 6 brought Occupy Wall Street to mind. While the verses seem to be alluding to destruction or active ruin, I actually like seeing it through a lens where the afflicted and the helpless are SEEN and HEARD. They demand to be seen and heard, it is God's will for their experience to be validated and made real. Their experience is not to be ignored or swept under the rug...it is to be faced and acknowledged by those with power and privilege.
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Examen (incomplete, but with good intentions)

I continue to be grateful for friends. I am also grateful for my parents and the coaches I had over the years. They made a difficult job look easy, and always handled the chaos with grace...I am thankful for their example as I coach.

I ask for your help and guidance as I try to be a good friend. I really try to listen well, to be attentive, to be like Kim, but I think I fail more than I succeed.

Allow me to use my free time wisely this weekend instead of letting it disappear.