“On Eagle’s Wings” – Memorial Meditation
Isaiah 40:28-31 – Sunday, October 20, 2024
My husband Kevin is a homebody – most of the time. However, he does enjoy occasionally hitting the road. I suggested to him about two months ago that we take a road trip, so we planned to go to the Smokies National Park next week. That is, until Hurricane Helene blasted right through that region, causing devastation all the way from landfall in Florida to many points north. The official Smokies park service website now pleads with prospective visitors not to visit, at least for a while, because of the massive clean-up that needs to be done.
So, since I have PTO time reserved away from work already, my husband and I made a quick switch to someplace closer to home. On Wednesday, we are heading to Cahokia Mounds near St. Louis, to Pere Marquette State Park, on the Mississippi River, and to Starved Rock State Park. I know this is not prime time to see eagles, but I hope that perhaps we will catch a glimpse of these magnificent birds on their migration south to open waters for the winter!
One of Carol Metler’s favorite church hymns was “On Eagle’s Wings.” This lovely, newer gospel song was originally written as a verse and refrain for Psalm 91, which affirms that we find refuge under God’s wings. The refrain of this gospel song is most sung in Protestant congregations – “And God will raise you up on eagles’ wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun and hold you in the palm of God’s hand.”
Whether we consider Psalm 91 or Isaiah chapter 40, both sections of the Bible talk about God’s protecting hand – and more! Listen to the words of the prophet again: “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
This chapter in Isaiah especially mentions the followers of God soaring on wings like eagles. You know and I know the followers of God often do not have an easy time of it. Life is not a walk in the park. Life is a challenge, sometimes. Even, more often than that, sometimes.
I suspect our dear Carol knew that life was a challenge, many times in her life. She was stubborn, and persistent, and she made it through – with God’s help!
However, I would like to step back and consider the historical context of this biblical passage. Isaiah chapter 40 was written while the Jewish people were in exile in Babylon, and it is in the section of the book that deals with comfort. This reading comes from the very middle of Exile. The Jewish people had been stuck in the foreign country long enough to feel like everything was going wrong and God wasn’t doing anything to help them. [1]
Commentator Dr. Steed Davidson stresses God’s power at work. The prophet does a compare/contrast thing here. Human people are inadequate to change the long distances of history and the circumstances of life. But – but – God is the Creator of heaven and earth! God has strength and power that transcends faulty human striving. Plus, verse 31 calls on “listeners to participate in God’s processes in order to experience transformation.” [2]
God gives strength to the weary to continue. God comes alongside those who are bone tired, so weak and dispirited that, of themselves, they could not take even one more step. But, God! But – God! Have you ever been so tired, or worn out, or anxious, fearful, discouraged – or one of a dozen other downhearted emotions? And then – but, God!
Imagine trying your hardest on a challenging project, and feeling like you got to the end of yourself. You can’t give any more. And then, but, God! Or, imagine you are sitting by the bed of a loved one recovering from serious surgery or in the middle of chemotherapy, and you feel so helpless to help your dear loved one. And then, but, God! God transforms everything.
“But” is usually a negative, a placeholder, a frowny face kind of a word, in so many situations. “But” so often has negative connotations – except for this one, here – but, God!
God transcends the negative language that we use. God transforms any downhearted stammering of “but, but, but…” into a positive, blooming, blessing of “but – God!” Showing the renewing, revitalizing possibilities of our Lord. Like the Refuge we run to, like a sturdy, safe Rock in the wilderness, God is so much more than we can possibly ask or think.
The pastoral musician Father Michael Joncas wrote this song in the 1970’s, and it has been sung countless times, and in some very harrowing situations. Imagine the ultimate shock, horror and heart-rending grief of the September 11th attacks; this song was performed at many of the funerals of the victims of that attack. This song is often performed during or at the end of a Catholic funeral mass. And, we will have this song played later on in this worship service, too.
Countless people have been touched by the words and music of this hymn, and many of those same grieving, hurting people would testify that God did indeed come close to them through their difficult times, just as this song tells us.
This is just what the authors of our two sections of Scripture wanted us to remember. Time and again, stories and narratives from the Bible remind us that the saints of old had challenges – difficulties – they had to deal with – walk through – even, soar above, on eagle’s wings. Can you relate? Hoping in the Lord is expecting that God’s promise of strength is a reality. God can come alongside. God can comfort and strengthen. Just as it was when our prophet wrote these words, just as it is now, today. God can assist us when we are alone as well as when we are together in one group, one congregation, one family.
“Do you not know? Have you not heard?” Praise the Lord, we know God’s protection and care is always with us, always holding us in the palm of God’s hand.
And to that, we all may say, alleluia, amen.
(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!
[1] http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2015/01/year-b-5th-sunday-after-epiphany-5th.html
[2] https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fifth-sunday-after-epiphany-2/commentary-on-isaiah-4021-31
Pastor, Preacher, Pray-er 