DEAR GOD, PLEASE DO SOMETHING QUICK!

DECEMBER 7, 1995
CHAPEL, PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

Joun M. BUCHANAN, Pastor
FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CHICAGO

SCRIPTURE
MATTHEW 24:36-44
ISAraAH 64:1-2, t=. /o~i2
"O THAT YOU WOULD TEAR OPEN THE HEAVENS AND COME DOWN,. .
- ISAIAH 64: 1 (NRSV)

SEVERAL YEARS AGO THERE WAS A

LITTLE BOOK PUBLISHED WITH THE ENGAGING

TITLE CHILDREN’S LETTERS To Gop. | It rs

JUST WHAT THE TITLE SAYS: \A COMPILATION

bene aaa

OF BRIEF MESSAGES, | WRITTEN BY LITTLE

CHILDREN, PUTTING_INTO WORDS WHATEVER

THEY WANTED TO SAY TO GoD.| THE LETTERS

an
ARE FULL OF CINNOCENCE AND HOPE “AND

TRUST. ||,SOME OF THEM ARE WISE, AS ONLY
re ——

CHILDREN CAN BE ON OCCASION.

My FAVORITE IS PRINTED IN THE LARGE

BLOCK LETTERS OF A FIRST-GRADER:

"DEAR Gop,
ARE YOU REAL? SOME PEOPLE
DON’T BELIEVE IT.
IF YOU ARE, YOU BETTER DO SOMETHING
QUICK.

HARRIET ANN"

nl

I THINK THAT HARRIET ANN HAS SAID

Car or YOU AND we, | ano THE WHOLE HUMAN
eee ed

Race |\\ I BELIEVE IT IS Ge wuMan PRAYER,
—— rr

PRAYED ON AND OFF THROUGH LIFE, BUT

PRAYED WITH PARTICULAR URGENCY WHEN

THINGS HAPPEN WHICH ASSAULT US SO DEEP-

ou”
LY.—.8@R VERY FAITH COMES INTO QUESTION;

Ror saculos
PRAYED W WHEN THINGS HAPPEN
WHICH SIMPLY DON'T MAKE SENSE IF Gop Is

eee

REAL.
TERRY ANDERSON HAS WRITTEN A MEMOIR
DOCUMENTING HIS EXPERIENCE AS A HOSTAGE

FOR SEVEN YEARS, DEN OF Lrons. ANDERSON

WAS A REPORTER WITH A. P., LIVING IN

Berurt. | ON MarcH 16, 1985, HE was
ABDUCTED AND FOR THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS,
ALONG WITH OTHER MEN WHOSE NAMES WE CAME

—

TO KNOW - TERRY WAITE, THOMAS SUTHER

LAND, THE REVEREND BENJAMIN WEIR, A

PRESBYTERIAN MISSION WORKER, FATHER

MARTIW JENKO. \For SEVEN YEAR NDERSON

WAS A HOSTAGE, | A-PRESSHBER,_1N A BLIND-

ee!

FOLD, MOST OF THE TIME CHAINED TO A WALL

IN A SERIES OF DARK, DAMP, FILTHY ROOMS.

FOR ONE PERIOD OF THREE YEARS, HE NEVER

SAW THE sun | ONE OF THE EXPERIENCES
nil Se LD

THAT ANDERSON RECORDS IN HIS POWERFUL

AND ENGAGING BOOK IS HIS (SPIRITUAL

OURNE \ A LAPSED ROMAN CATHOLIC,

———

ANDERSON FOUND HIMSELF THINKING A LOT

_—o

ABOUT GOP AND FAITH. | HE ASKED FOR A

a en al

BIBLE AND BEGAN TO READ AND REREAD AND

ee, -_

WHEN FATHER JENKO AND HE SHARED A CELL,

ANDERSON MADE HIS conresszoN. | But

a

THROUGHOUT THERE IS A VERY HUMAN STRUG-
el

a

GLE, EXPRESSED WITH A NEWS _REPORTER’S
CLARITY AND _DIRECTNESS:

"T REACH SO HARD TO TOUCH GoD, CONCEN~
TRATING, [WAITING FOR SOMETHING, SOME
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM HIM THAT I EXIST,

—

THAT HE'S LISTENING. | I GET BACK ONLY

BLANKNESS.. L@ONG-NEGHFS.——,MIND—SPIN-

At Vs F RES me = 7 oe ; ; =
“T cAN’T DO THIS, Goo. \ I'm FINISHED. | T

SURRENDER. | THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO TO

CHANGE ANYTHING,\ NOTHING ANYONE CAN DO.

a aned

AND IT’S JUST GOING TO GO ON, AND I

CAN'T DO iT. \ Het ME. | YoU SAY YOU LOVE

ME, SO HELP mME.", Lp. 75]

YEAR-OLD-GHILD, . |. "DEAR Gop, YOU

BETTER DO SOMETHING QUICK.” [THEIR

PRAYER TS THE HUBS PRAYER, TH RAYER

EVERY MAN A WOMAN PRAYS.-IN SOME WAY OR

ANOTHER AT SOME TIME ANOTHER.

Nd

A POET OF MA

INSIGHT W
2,50

IFICENT ART A

VERSION OF THE PRAYER

. a

")} THAT YOU WOULD TEAR OPEN THE HEAVENS

AND COME DOWN. . | ro MAKE YOUR NAME

KNOWN TO YOUR ADVERSARIES.”

LIKE

TERRY ANDERSON, THE PROPHET IS

WRITING ABOUT CAPTIVITY. ONLY HE’S

WRITING ABOUT HIS PEOPLE. | JUDAH IS

BEING HELD HOSTAGE.| THE KINGS OF JUDAH

HAVE MADE A SERIES OF FOOLISH DECISIONS
re

AND HAVE MANAGED TO INFURIATE

For TWO YEARS THE BABYLONIAN ARMY LAYS

SIEGE TO Jerusatem. \ FINALLY, fy 587,>

THE CITY FALLS. | THE CONQUERING BABYLO-
Se eee

NIANS SMASH ,THE CITY WALLS,) BUR LL THE

MAJOR BUILDINGS, THE TEMPLE OF

SOLOMON AND GARRY OFF INTO EXILE THE

ROYAL HOUSE, SEMERAE=THOGSAND LEADING

CITIZENS, | MILIEARY PEOPLE, POLITICIANS,

I

PREESTS;—ARTISANS. | A GENERATION PASSES. in onto.
("How CAN WE SING THE LoRD’S SONG IN A

FOREIGN Lano?") rH PEOPLE LAMENT. { "WHY

HAS THIS HAPPENED TO GOD'S CHOSEN PEO-

eve? [(Wnr voesn’t GOD DO SOMETHING? [ir >

ARE WE SUFFERING, PERSECUTED, HUMILIAT-

inane
ED? [ wv DOESN'T GOD aT Leas{ SAY -p0me-
THING?"
ARE THERE MORE POIGNANT LINES
nr

ANYWHERE?

"OUR HOLY AND BEAUTIFUL HOUSE,

WHERE OUR ANCESTORS PRAISED YOU-
mene |

HAS BEEN BURNED BY FIRE,

AND ALL OUR PLEASANT PLACES
REE

WAVt_BECOME RUINS.

AFTER ALL THIS, WILL YOU

Weshrous

YOURSELF, O Lorn?

WILL YOU KEEP SILENT. . .?"

SILENCE OF
Gop, THE WEAKNESS OF GOD, WHO DOESN'T

KNOW ABOUT iT?

_-—-_—s» _~—s EVERY YEAR IT SEEMS, DURING ADVENT,

WA

A SERIES OF CRISES ERUPTS INTO THE CON

eres

SCIOUSNESS AND SCHEDULE AND LATE NIGHT

Sie ne

RUMINATIONS OF THE PASTOR\AND HE/SHE
el

erie

PRAYS THE PRAYER WITH NO LITTLE URGENCY.

pn nnenelimnnnenn |

DEAR Gop, ARE YOU REAL? DO SOMETHING

ty

ourck!

A YOUNG MAN, ETHAN KANE, /FROM
UNG MAN,

LINCOLN PARK ,TWO MILES FROM FOURTH
i ™ ‘
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, \A JUNIOR AT LOYOLA,

BRIGHT,| COMMITTED, ATHLETE -~- COMES HOME

HEE REE nel

FROM A NIGHT ON THE TOWN LAST SATURDAY,

——

IS ACCOSTED AS HE PARKS HIS van | ARGUES
—— nae

AND STRUGGLES -- AND IS SHOT _IN THE HEAD

—————s

FIVE TIMES.

ope
SHAWN'S SURGERY 1S ‘TOO BRIEF.>| IT Th a au
rire

HAS METASTASIZED. | SHE'S 29. oe

) ~
rm ~
7 ou

My OLDEST FRIEND, AND MOST, PORTANT

——— er

MeNEPrER, ART ROMIG, \SON,AF_MISSTON-

a
ARTES, \A MISSIONARY.“T0 CHrna,| A P.O.W.,
*
A GRADUATE oF #fiIs INSTITUTION, | TAKING

CARE OF HIS” WIFE IN SANTA Fe, /is GASPING

—a

Tt
INTO HAS OXYGEN MASK, | FIGHTING ALS, Lou
7

GEMRIG’S DISEASE.

ae é

DEAR Goo: \ po SOMETHING...\ WHO

HASN'T PRAYED THAT PRAYER?

ONE WHO HAS AND WHO HAS WRITTEN

——~ ELOQUENTLY ABOUT iT IS ANN WEEMS, O3@@=nF-
cone, a.
ee

eur PRESBYTERIAN WRITERS |WHOSE POEMS AND
eee

PRAYERS WE HAVE COME TO LOVE. \ ANN /tmsiiiis

nel

LOST A BELOVED SON AND POURS OUT HER

err

BROKEN HEART IN A NEW BOOK, PSALMS OF
LAMENT.

"0 Gop HAVE You FORGOTTEN MY NAME?

How LONG WILL YOU LEAVE ME IN THIS
PIT?

Don'T YOU HEAR ME

YOU WHOSE NAME IS EMMANUEL?

Won'T YOU COME TO” ME?

WITHOUT A CANDLE
TOAJARD OFF/ATHE NIGHT?" [P. ye
_——ss ("0 Gop, YOU'VE ALLOWED DEATH TO
TAKE HIM AWAY,

Leaving

dete ME ALONE

IN THE CHILL DAWN OF UNFINISHED

a

LOVE.
WHAT COULD YOU HAVE BEEN THINKING?"
ie anne
[p. 12]
a ene ne
0 SOONER OR LATER LIFE BRINGS US TO

SUCH A PLACE AND BRINGS SUCH A PRAYER TO
—— a all

OUR Lips. | IF WE KNOW ANYTHING, YOU AND

I, IT IS THAT THERE IS THAT THERE IS NO

EASY ANSWER.| WHILE HARRIET ANN’S PRAYER
i oeeeeimatel Oe

IS ELOQUENTLY SIMPLE, IT RAISES A QUES-

TION THAT DOES NOT SUBMIT TO SUPERFICIAL,

SIMPLE PIETY.

rr ctrl

AS THE ANCIENT PROPHET STRUGGLES

WITH THE ISSUE, TWO THOUGHTS BEGIN TO

EMERGE AND THEY ARE PERHAPS THE TWO MOST

———y

IMPORTANT THEOLOGICAL IDEAS IN THE

HISTORY OF HUMAN THOUGHT.

THEC FIRST IS THAT GOD DOESN'T CAUSE

HUMAN SUFFERING, \ OR PREVENT 1T,\OR FOR

THAT MATTER, EXPLAIN rt\\ GoD SHARES IT,

ENTERS INTO rr.\ (Gon, THIS POET SUGGEST-
amines t a ll

ED NEARLY 600 YEARS BEFORE CHRIST,

ENTERS SO DEEPLY INTO THE HUMAN SITFUA~-

TION, THAT WHAT HAPPENS TO HUMAN BEINGS

HAS AN EFFECT on Gop. GOD ASSUMES THE

BURDEN OF SUFFERING.| GOD'S REPRESENTA-

TIVE IS A "SUFFERING SERVANT. \t WAS,

—— ——
AND IS, A REMARKABLE THOUGHT: A GOD WHO

IS VULNERABLE;\ A GOD WHO, FOR LOVE,
—— et . —

BECOMES VULNERABLE; A Gop WHO ACCEPTS,

AND EXPERIENCES THE SAME SUFFERING AND

LOSS AND GRIEF WHICH AFFLICT HUMAN

a pe

pemNcs:| A GOD WHOSE PROMINENT CHARACTER-

—————

10

ISTICS, THEREFORE, CAN NO LONGER BE

DESCRIBED EXCLUSIVELY AS POWER, MIGHT,
_ ——— SO ne

JUDGMENT, STENT, [eur NOW COMPASSION,

TT
KINDNESS, MERCY AND Love:\. GOD, THERE~

FORE, WHO DOES NOT BANISH SUFFERING, BUT
——

STANDS SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH US IN

Its MIDST, | AND HOLDS US UP AND LIFTS US

WHEN WE BEGIN 70 FALL AND STRENGTHENS US

TO LIVE THROUGH IT.

AND THE SECOND IDEA JS THAT EVEN IN

THE MIDST OF THE MOST DISTRESSING CIR-

CUMSTANCES, {THERE ARE SIGNS OF HOPE.

rey,

GOD, THOUGH VULNERABLE, IS ALSO ALWAYS

PRESENT TO CREATE THE POSSIBILITY OF NEW

LIFE AND REDEMPTION.\ THE PROPHET COULD

tei

SEE THINGS THE CAPTIVES COULD NOT SEE:

LIBERATION WAS conan, | FREEDOM, RESTORA-
——vy

TION, A HIGHWAY IN THE DESERT? A NEW

capers AAT

CREATION. .

A NEW JERUSALEM, WITH NO MORE

5 iene

WEEPING,
noo

il

7

NO MORE INFANTS DYING
oe
NO MORE ELDERLY DYING BEFORE THEIR

Pain ol desk

EVEN THE WOLF AND THE LAMB WILL CNY

TIME

FEED TOGETHER

THE WORD FOR THE cHurcn, \THE WORD

THE CHURCH HAS FOR THE WORLD, \ THE FAITH
—_—— —e
ISSUE IN ADVENT IS A WORD OF HOPE,| NOT A
PIOUS SENTIMENT) NOT A WISTFUL, WISHFUL
"WHAT ze..."\ put HOPE PRECISELY IN THE

MIDST OF DESPAIR,\ LIGHT PRECISELY IN THE

MIDST OF A THICK DARKNESS.

THE FAITH ISSUE IS vor bo You

ee rl

BELIEVE JESUS WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM?"

EVERYBODY IS CAPTIVATED BY THAT PART OF

ere Véeer- shore
THE sToRY./ EVEN BLOOMINGDALES BELIEVES
he cry, f
SOMETHING OF SIGNIFICANCE AND VALUE
— 1 Cae
HAPPENED IN BETHLEHEM. C aa You

YOU TRUST GOD'TO BRING S

- ‘ | tf Veron ¢
RESTORATION INTO OUR WORLD, OUR DARK-

—_,,

NESS.

HOPE REQUIRES A DECISION, A COMMIT-
Seneanhn

MENT, | Peopte OF HOPE, JURGEN MOLTMANN
FP nGre:
WROTE IN AN IMPORTANT BOOK THAT CAME

4) AL gccut ALONG In 1967, See AT THE RIGHT TIME
Wr

ou | FOR MANY OF US, “Tare NOT INCLINED TO BE
——_—_—_—_—oOoS

ee he ne Wes PASSIVE ONLOOKERS, | BUT ENERGETIC, IN-
-_ + (uve VOLVED, SOMETIMES EVEN REVOLUTIONARY.
\ot
oo oo '
wren It's ADVENT. / MAYBE THERE ARE

ENOUGH PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN GOD AND
aaa

TRUST THE HOPE,| PEOPLE WHO KNOW THAT Gop

IS ALWAYS PLANTING THE SEEDS OF A NEW

CREATION AND BEARING CHILDREN OF HOPE ~-

WHO WILL NOT MERELY WATCH AND WAIT ,\ BUT
——

WILL GO TO WORK IN THE NAME OF HOPE -5

PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT_REST UNTIL WE BRING

OUR CULTURE: OUR NATION, OUR CITIES HOME

Te

FROMTCAPTIVITY TO VIOLENCE AND POVERTY

AND DRUGS,| PEOPLE WHO IN THE NAME -- NOT
Phish adnan

———a

OF ANYBODY’S POLITICAL AGENDA,/ BUT THE

NAME OF THE GOD~GeemkaaRE WILL/NOT REST

—

UNTIL THERE IS SOMETHING SEMBLING HOPE

A

13
Ai. Croton Amores

wwsace,

IN OUR SCHOOLS AND COMPASSION IN OUR
mf Rn

ECONOMIC SYSTEM.
—_———

THE TRUTH IS GOD DID NOT_RIP OPEN
—_— ——_—_—

THE SKY AND REACH DOWN AND LIFT J@Set rsrak

FROM ITS BABYLONIAN GHETTO.

—

THE TRUTH 1S GOD INVITED THE PEOPLE

TO LIFT UP THEIR HEADS AND OPEN THEIR

<7

EYES AND START WATCHING FOR SIGNS OF

HOPE>— THE TRUTH IS GOD INVITES THEM ,,-Oe-

START A JOURNEY .,|BACK THROUGH THE DESERT,
| nan _ ‘

A JOURNEY WITH NO SMALL RISK AND DANGER

anamneel

AND DEMAND.

GOD DOES NOT PROMISE TO FIX EVERY-

THING, | BUT TO BE WITH THEM, | To GIVE THEM

STRENGTH AND COURAGE FOR THE JOURNEY,

THE TRUTH 1S GOD DOESN'T RIP OPEN

THE WALLS OF TERRY ANDERSON'S cet. | But
ee

SOMEHOW GOD GIVES HIM ENOUGH HOPE TO

OF

CALL OUT HIM HIS CGURAGE AND TRUST.

14

i

land Opes h Fore Aux Ween:

War SM, Deck. — ou.

Christa. a ppraaches —

aS

she

4cem 1 hears — asm ~ fer

Ge Wid F Jloryor

it,

A Fhe

—_—— >?

Please, HOLY-ONE,

BE BORW ANEW TO ME.
\
4 GLorY To You, 0 Gop.
GLoRY TO YOU IN THE HIGHEST
FOR YOU ARE NOT ASHAMED

TO WALK WETH ME IN DARKNESS.

You HAVE HEARD MY CRY AND TURNED TO

ME,
Anp I HAVE SEEN A GREAT LIGHT."
— > On DECEMBER 13, 1943, ANOTHER

a

PRISONER WROTE FROM capravity. | DreTRICH

BONHOEFFER, IN A LOVE LETTER TO HIS
i

—,

FIANCE, MARIA VON WEDEMEYER, / EXPRESSED

DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THE RELEASE AND
V——

REONION WITH HIS BELOVED AND HIS FAMILY
meihiaall =x

THAT HECHOPED FOR AND £XPECTED WAS NOT

GOING TO HAPPEN,
wes - > "WITHOUT ABANDONING ALL HOPE" HE
See ae WROTE, "WE SHALL BOTH EXPERIENCE A FEW

vag OW “ DARK HOURS... WE SHALL PONDER THE

’ Rt,
Weep ds 16

INCOMPREHENSIBILITY OF QUR LOT AND—BE

ASSATLEIC RYT RE-GUESTEON-—OF HH... = HOW
HARD IT IS TO ACCEPT WHAT DEFIES OUR
oe —_—
UNDERSTANDING ..\ How GREAT THE TEMPTA-
TION TO FEEL OURSELVES AT THE MERCY OF
RLIVD

BEETEVED CHANCE

"AND THEN, JUST WHEN EVERYTHING IS

BEARING DOWN ON US TO SUCH AN EXTENT

THAT WE CAN BARELY STAND 11, |THE CHRIST-

ee

MAS MESSAGE COMES TO TELL US THAT ALL

OUR IDEAS ARE WRONG, AND THAT WHAT WE

TAKE TO BE EVIL AND DARK IS REALLY GOOD

AND LIGHT .. QUR EYES ARE AT FAULT,
THAT IS ALL *.\ Goo IS IN THE MANGER,
ee Hee eal

WEALTH IN POVERTY, ( LIGHT IN DARKNESS, ,

No EVIL CAN

BEFALL US, WHATEVER MEN MAY DO US.”
Ip. 133]
“

O THAT YOU WOULD TEAR OPEN THE

ve, “

HEAVENS AND COME DOWN. /¢

17

\

DEAR GoD, YOU BETTER DO SOMETHING

QUICK ... t

GoD HEARS THOSE PRAYERS. | GOD HEARS

YOU WHEN YOU PRAY THOSE PRAYERS.\ GOD
bank

ete

COMES TO YOU AND ME WHEN WE FIND THOSE
a,

PRAYERS ON OUR LIPS,

———y

C How can T say rat? \ How CAN YOU

BELIEVE THAT?\| BECAUSE GOD HAS COME --

a aaa

a
IN A STABLE, BEHIND A CROWDED INN, IN
————

BETHLEHEM OF JUDEA.

TE

BECAUSE GOD CHOSE TO ANSWER THE

ANCIENT PRAYER QUIETLY, IN HUMAN BIRTH.

S smmshinmmmmntemamenndd

BECAUSE THE CHILD GREW AND REFLECT~

ED THE LOVE AND POWER AND GRACE OF GoD

———a

IN A WAY WE HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO

FORGET,} LIVING GUR LIFE,\ WALKING OUR
Se een ann, Ce

roaps,,\ Lovins WITH OUR LOVE, \ WEEPING OUR
ie _ an

TEAR |ano FINALLY, ULTIMATELY, DYING OUR
—_———

ge er
DEATH ...
How CAN I ASK YOU TO BELIEVE THAT?
Wiis “—
BECAUSE GOD HAS COME AND COME¢ AGAIN AND

a el

18