"Speak Your Untamed Word"--A Prayer for December 13, 2020

“Speak Your Untamed Word”—A Prayer for December 13, 2020
(drawn from reading and wrestling with Isaiah 61)

The old visions are familiar to us, God—maybe too familiar.
We have heard the poetry of the ancient prophets
but turned them into white noise for the season,
like the millionth version of “Holly Jolly Christmas” there just to play
in the background while we order more presents and wrap them.

We know the words, “the Spirit of the Lord has anointed me,”
and we have heard the call to bring good news to the poor
and bind up the brokenhearted. We know you said something
about your year of jubilee and releasing prisoners,
but we have tried to tell ourselves you didn’t mean it.

We have tried to muzzle your words
because we would rather have a god
who is domesticated and never
actually moves in the world than
one who shakes us out of our routines.

But we need to be shaken. We need the world
your prophets wildly dreamed of.
Speak your untamed words again, O God.
And then stir something up in us
so that we will embody what they say.