High hills

 

Jeremiah 3:19-25

Here's how The Message translates Jeremiah 3:23: "All that popular religion was a cheap lie, duped crowds buying up the latest in gods." People often criticize translations like The Message Bible. I suppose paraphrasing scripture doesn't sit well for some. But I appreciate the attempt to connect our modern understandings to ancient hearts and struggles. What we discover is that we're not all that different. People are people and people will be people. The NRSV translates the same verse like this: "Truly the hills are a delusion." And the NKJV says, "Truly, in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills." Would you have picked up on the idea of popular religion from those readings? Without further study, I wouldn't have. So, what is the point of the text? The people, seemingly, recognized they had turned from God's way. They understood what God wanted from them and even for them. But they sought another way of being. It felt better to pursue idol worship and practice of the hills. That is, people would set up worship in literal high places. Mind you, most of these places had nothing to do with the worship of God. The people realized, then, their religious pursuits amounted to nothing. Nothing faithful, that is. Today, you and I don't have those kinds of high hills. Oh, but we have high hills, don't we? Today's popular religion is full of them.  These are the personal and communal pursuits that don't bring us to closer communion with God. They have the opposite effect. Whether we actually realize or seek to justify our high hills, they will prove to be empty promises. Thankfully, there is a faithful promise within the people's recognition of who they have been. It's the same promise you and I can count on as well. The Lord says through Jeremiah, "Return, O faithless children, I will heal your faithlessness." Or as The Message says, "Come back, wandering children! I can heal your wanderlust!" Stay blessed...john