“Our praises inadequate? Well, do so anyway”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Wednesday, November 2, 2022
Ecclesiasticus 43:23-33 (Forward, p. 4) RSV p. xxx
It is no small wonder that songsters and poets wax eloquent or have trouble finding the adequate words to describe the wonders of nature, things like the majesty of the sea or the incredible splendour of the mountains or the vastness and stark beauty of the Arctic. Such things really are beyond the capacity of mere words. It is with things like this—in this case, the sea and its creatures--that today’s author, Sirach, begins our meditation.
But unlike certain secular voices, environmentalists and such like, he doesn’t end with just this. The wonders of the creation, to him at least, are not the end of the story. They are not to be our ultimate focus or concern. No, to him they are but signs pointing beyond themselves, signs pointing to their origin and to their Creator, which is God.
And so Yeshua Ben Sirach, the ancient Jewish writer of today’s passage, quite naturally, moves into his praises of Almighty God, for not only did God create all these things, populate them and give them their order and design, but also holds them all together by the word of His power. But even here, Sirach is conscious that his words miserably fail to adequately tell of the infinite greatness of God. “Though we speak much we cannot reach the end, and the sum of our words is: ‘He is the all’ (verse 27). For in as much as we can perceive something of Him through the Creation and come to know Him partially through it, He is far more than any of it: “Where shall we find strength to praise him? For he is greater than all his works” (verse 28).
And so, after acknowledging our inadequacy to ‘properly’ or adequately praise God, Sirach simply reverts to a call to us to praise God the best we can, in whatever words we can find. “When you praise the Lord, exalt him s much as you can; for he will surpass even that. When you exalt him, put forth all your strength, and do not grow weary, for you cannot praise him enough” (verse 30).
And surely God is pleased with these efforts, be they what they are. Here I cannot help but think of how pleased, how delighted, parents are by a drawing rendered by their child. It matters not that it is childish or primitive; what matters is that it is an expression of the heart, the heart of someone who truly loves those parents. And so it is with us and God and our praises. They are an expression of our hearts, and that is what matters, what matters to God at least. Amen.
Forward notes: “By his plan he stilled the deep and planted islands in it. Those who sail the sea tell of its dangers, and we marvel at what we hear. In it are strange and marvelous creatures, all kinds of living things, and huge sea-monsters. Because of him each of his messengers succeeds, and by his word all things hold together” (verses 23-26).
“In ancient literature, the sea is often a metaphor for the unknown. It’s a representation of chaos that is ‘formless and void.’ The contents of the oceans are seen as a source of fearful mystery. Only the Divine completely comprehends their depth and fullness.
“Our times are chaotic and dangerous. Often, we feel at a loss to navigate the forces of a world we cannot control or understand. Like our ancient forbearers, we live in fear of the unknown. We stand on the seashore, looking at a stormy horizon, paralyzed by our anxiety.
“But we must first remember that we aren’t left without safe harbour. Amidst our journey’s tumult, God has planted islands, places of safety and refuge. These safe harbors appear in the form of people. They’re family, friends, the church, the body of Christ.”
Moving Forward: “Who is your safe harbour? Thank them today.