Today's Scripture Reading (October 4, 2020): Nehemiah 6
Sometimes I feel like I am living
in a world that is dominated by conspiracy theories. Except that to those who
believe in the conspiracy, these far-out theories seem quite familiar. And I don't
seem to get it. Maybe one of my problems is that I assume that most of us are
honest and want to do the right thing, even if sometimes we don't. And
conspiracy theories seem to believe in a high degree of deceit on the part of
most people in our society. It is only because everyone is cheating and lying that
the theory works. And I admit that I struggle with that concept. I don't want
to think that everyone in authority, every politician, every medical doctor, every
religious leader, and every administrator is somehow corrupt and in on the
conspiracy. I don't want to trade in my belief in the goodness of most people
for the knowledge that everyone I meet is corrupt and trying to control me or
do me harm.
But there are reasons for
conspiracy theories. Four reasons for conspiracy theories seem to rise to the
top. There is a desire for understanding and certainty, the need for control
and security, the desire to maintain a positive self-image, and the support for
other things that we might believe. In religious circles, it is often this last
reason that leads the way. If I think that God has left oil in the ground as a
present for us to use, then I will fight any suggestion that our use of that
oil might be harming the environment. And when our economics are threatened,
and we believe in money, then we will fight against the truth with every fiber
of our being.
As Nehemiah begins to repair the
city of Jerusalem, the people in the area begin to oppose the project. The
people who have made their homes in the area are afraid that they are losing
control of the area. They fear for their security. But they also fear that, as
non-Jews, they might become second-class citizens. And they don't understand
what is going on and are afraid that the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple
might impede their own religious beliefs. The result is that there is a fertile
ground for a conspiracy theory, and that ground did not disappoint. Those
living around Jerusalem began to talk about the rebellion that was being
planned by the Jews in Jerusalem, and the plan to reinstate the Kingdom instead
of the province of Judah.
But Nehemiah denies any truth to
the conspiracy theory. Nehemiah is a member of the court of the King of Persia,
and he enjoys the support of the King. He is grateful for the support he has received
from the Achaemenid Empire and has no intention to violate the trust that has
been placed in him.
The attack is nothing more than
another just conspiracy theory. It is made up in the minds and results from the
unfounded fears of a small group of people who oppose the rebuilding of
Jerusalem. Nehemiah's opposition was fighting against ghosts that were conjured
up in the minds of the people who were not involved in the reconstruction of
the city, and all that Nehemiah could do was remind these people to control
their imaginations.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Nehemiah
7
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