This is what the LORD said to me: “Go and stand at the Gate of the People, through which the kings of Judah go in and out; stand also at all the other gates of Jerusalem. – Jeremiah 17:19

Today’s Scripture Reading (April 17, 2020): Jeremiah 17

The earth is ours and what we do with it affects all of us. One of the enduring lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic is that the virus doesn’t understand the nature of borders, or economic or cultural differences, or religions. I still see derogatory comments on my social media accounts concerning the Chinese virus and Chinese people. And part of what is offensive to me is that these posts are being used to place blame on one section of our society, or the traditional practices of a section of our community that we probably don’t understand. And it is nothing new; racism seems to be somehow ingrained into our being. But COVID-19 is not a Chinese problem. It may have originated in China, but that is an accident of nature.  The Chinese people that you know are not to blame for what is happening. It is our problem. And only we, together, everyone, can solve the problem. Because COVID-19 does not understand the concept of race.

God indicates to Jeremiah that his message is an “everyone” message. God tells him specifically to go to the Gate of the People, the gate through which the kings and people of affluence would come and go from the city to spread the message. But God tells him to go to this gate with the instructions that he is being given.

But it is not just the Gate of the People where Jeremiah is told to go. It is almost as if God is saying, “I know, Jeremiah, that you are taking the message to all of the other gates, but don’t forget this gate. Because this message is for everyone.”

The message, in this case, that Jeremiah was supposed to be sharing concerned the observance of the Sabbath. Maybe, in the panic that had enveloped the city as rumors about the approaching Babylonian Army began to circulate, people and businesses began to try to make the most of every moment, including on the Sabbath.

Jeremiah was sent to all the gates, and all the people, from the King to the most unfortunate slave, with the message that the Sabbath still belonged to God. The solution to the coming disaster was not going to be one that preparation was going to allow them to overcome. God remained the only solution to the problem that was making its way to the walls of Jerusalem.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 18