Comfort, O comfort my people

The prophet Isaiah is writing in a time of great sorrow.  Many of the people of Israel have been exiled, others remain behind to suffer the fate of a people who had to see everything they knew destroyed and made unclean.  These words from their God that begin chapter 40 of Isaiah's message is almost impossible to comprehend.

Comfort, O comfort my people.

Jan over at Church of Starving Artists writes a brief but poingnent post contemplating why, more and more, people seem willing to admit that they too are in the midst of pain and suffering, and what the church might be called to do as a result.

I think she's onto something.  Whereas yesterday I was calling preachers to a both/and understanding of their role (disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed) today I'm thinking that a lot of other outlets are doing the job of disturbing the comfortable and perhaps for a while the Church is called to proclaim the message of freedom that Isaiah gave to Israel.

Comfort, O comfort my people.