27 July 2020

Audio version

Jeremiah writes,
‘I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it.
The loincloth was spoilt, good for nothing.’
From Jeremiah 13: 1-11

For many of us, this is a very strange reading! God tells Jeremiah to take his underwear – to wear it – not to wash it – and then to bury it – and then to get it out and look at it. It is possible that even reading this makes you feel a bit uneasy, if not a bit disgusted. Why on earth would God ask anyone to do that? But our reaction – whether it is disgust or complete bewilderment, makes the point. God is saying to Jeremiah that, if the people carry on as they are, they are not close to him, but are more like this loincloth – good for nothing.

It is a pretty harsh judgement and, it’s probably fair to say, that the graphic image of a dirty piece of underwear really does get through in a way that the words alone might fail to do.

• • How does this image of people being likened to dirty underwear leave you feeling?
  • How does it show the seriousness of God’s message?

Spend a few minutes today thinking about how symbols or gestures can sometimes communicate an important point  more clearly than words – and then consider which work most strongly for you.