Observation: In John's vision, seven seals are opened, unleashing a great amount of suffering in preparation for the final judgment. This includes the so-called "Four Horsemen". But when the fifth seal is opened, John sees Christian martyrs, who were "slaughtered for the word of God", under the heavenly altar. They ask, "How long will it be before you judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?" God's answer is grim: Many others will die for their faith before the end.
Application: I think I've made this observation before, maybe in this very blog, but this text reminds me again that the life of a person of truth and integrity is often a tortured one. It feels so unjust that it's people of conscience, both within and outside of Christianity, who lose sleep over the state of the world, while those who may be causing the most harm carry on obliviously. To have some sense of the justice, peace and love God intends for the world often feels like a curse. It is the frustrating place of continually asking God, "How long?"
This question, "how long", rings out through both the Old and New Testaments. It is the song of saints in all ages. It's a song of lament, and a song of hope. It both recognizes, with impatience, that things are not as they should be, yet trusts in God that one day they will be. It is my song when I am awake, and conscious of the pain of others around me. If I ever stop asking "how long?", either I've become too comfortable with injustice, or I've given in to despair.
Prayer: God, how long? Help me be attentive to your will in a world that falls short. Help me pursue it, and by your Spirit, to make it real in any small way I can. Amen.
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