Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. – Proverbs 31:8

Today’s Scripture Reading (April 24, 2013): Proverbs 31

Bono has been a force in recent years for the causes of the poor and destitute. He has kicked us into caring about the AIDS epidemic in Africa. He has thrown stupid poverty (poverty where people die for want of a pill that in the West costs less than a dollar) into our discussions. He has been the voice of the people without a voice. And we needed the kick. Too often we have hunted in the West for the “yabuts.” We are told of the poverty in Africa and our response “Yeah but what can we do – we can’t make it rain or end the wars that are causing the poverty.” We hear about the AIDS epidemic and our response is (and this is one of the most idiotic responses that we have ever dreamed up) “Yeah but isn’t that just the price to be paid for their sin.” As good as we want to be, often it is the “yabuts” that get in the way between us and doing the good that I believe that we are here to do.

Bono, to his credit, yelled at us through our “yabuts.” He pushed us – and we needed to be pushed. But he kept on coming; he never hid his disappointment in us for our lack of concern about the voiceless in this world. And he kept on speaking at every opportunity that he had for those who had no voice with us.

The proverb says that our responsibility as people is that we will be the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. We are to be the voice for the poor. We are to be the voice for the sick. We are to be the voice for the stranger. We are to be the voice for the depressed. Every person that goes through life feeling like they do not have a voice – we are to be their voice. But I also wonder if maybe it is something even more than that.

I listened to a sermon by Francis Chan recently. And in that sermon, Chan talked about the fact that our sin often makes it impossible for God to hear our prayers. Is it possible that it is even these people who we are to become the voice for? I love the image in the second chapter of Joel concerning the task of the priest. Joel talks about the picture of the true priest as being the one that is willing to stand between the porch and the altar – between the place where God is and the place where the people are. And I think we need to combine Joel’s vision and this Proverb. As much as we need to be the voice in our culture for those that do not have a voice, we need to be the voice before God for those who feel that they have lost the right to speak to him. 

We are all priests and we are all called to be the intercessors standing in the place of those who have lost their voice – and simply speaking of their concerns.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Song of Songs 1