A Word from Pastor Lisa: Remembering and Rebuilding

Photo Credit: Kristin Munday

Then [Nehemiah] said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

– Nehemiah 8:10 (NRSV)

My husband Colin has a memory like a steel trap. When he was a little boy, his mom would tell him her grocery list and then take him to the store. He could remember everything. I, on the other hand, frequently have moments of CRS – Can’t Remember Stuff – where I blank out on why I walked into a room or what I needed to grab from my office or what I’m supposed to do next.

This depressing scenario reflects the situation of God’s people that Nehemiah describes. The people have forgotten the Word of God. They’ve been exiled from their land, their city, and their temple under the Babylonian Empire. When the Persians rise to power, they permit the exiles to return to Jerusalem, and they start coming back in waves. Around 444 BCE, the third wave returns under the governor Nehemiah, who wants to rebuild city. He calls the people to reconstruct the wall around Jerusalem so they will no longer be a disgrace. The people eagerly begin the work, but nothing comes easy for them. With the rebuilding of the temple, they are easily distracted and bribed by their enemies. With the wall, they are taunted by their enemies, who eventually plot to attack them. Nehemiah encourages them to keep building and arms the workers for their protection. Remember the Lord is great and awesome! Don’t be afraid! Nehemiah defies the opposition, and the people complete the work in 52 days.

Nehemiah doesn’t stop there. He takes action to repopulate the city, cancel debt, and redeem the people. When the wall is complete, the people gather for a huge celebration. They ask Ezra the priest to bring out the scroll of the Law. We don’t know exactly which parts of the Torah he read, but keep in mind the people are hearing God’s Word for the first time in 140 years. As the crowd experiences the Word of God, those 140 years simply vanish into thin air. They discover they are part of the story God is writing. They recognize the gap between how God wanted them to live and how they were living. They start weeping in grief and shame, longing to return to God. Then Nehemiah, Ezra, and the priests say to them: “Don’t mourn or weep. This is a day holy to the Lord your God. Party down! Share your food with those who are hungry! Don’t be sad, because the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

The people of God rejoice because their season of amnesia is over. Their sacred memories are alive again. This is a day of remembering who they are and who God is. They could face the hard work of rebuilding that still lay ahead but at the same time be assured of God’s presence, power, joy, and strength. They could celebrate the redemptive work God had done in their community and anticipate all God would build through them in the future.

As we emerge from the pandemic, I wonder how we will remember and rebuild well. We haven’t been in exile by any means, nor have we missed hearing the Word of God for 150 years. But we have had a season that has been very difficult. We’ve felt disconnected from each other, our church, and sometimes, from God. We’re not sure who’s still connected to us, and the broader church statistics are depressing. We’ve got a lot of remembering to do of who and whose we are. We’ve got a lot of rebuilding and growing in terms of our discipleship, our worship, and our service to the community. We’ve got some exciting things in store, and I hope you’ll commit to engaging with our church community. When we get discouraged or feel hopeless in the rebuilding process, as will happen, my prayer is we’ll remember that the joy of the Lord is our strength.