“Yet even now, says the LORD ....”

            Yet even now. Even now, the Lord says to ancient Israel, way back then! Even after all of the apostasy, the worship of Ba’als and Astartes and no doubt a host of other non-entities now lost to history — even now, after the transgressions against the most basic understandings of social justice — even after all of this and more, yet even now, turn back, return and all will be forgiven. Yet even now, says the Lord. It’s never too late — but God wants our whole heart. Give your heart, not just a rote offering of religious ritual. That is what the “rending of clothing” was all about: a ritual, purported to show grief, mourning, sorrow for one’s sins.

            It is important to remember to whom this is addressed. Ours is an era of heightened awareness of the individual and individual rights, and that is all well and good — but we too easily fail to consider that these words, and words like them, were addressed to an entire nation, not to individuals. So where shall we go with that? Who is the larger group to which such words should be addressed today?

            Our nation? Well ... we are — at least in the United States — by national self-definition a rigorously secular nation. Not only that, but a nation that includes, and (ideally!) welcomes, many, any and all faiths.

            So to whom might these words be addressed?

            The Christian communities — all of the Catholic and Orthodox traditions both East and West, Anglican persuasions and Protestant denominations? The various persuasions of Judaism? After all, each and all of these bodies regard these words delivered through Joel as, in one way or another, sacred scripture, a word from the Lord.

            Yes, all of these bodies claim to be under the discipline of the One who began interaction with humankind as — according to our various

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