COMPLETE CHAOS (tohu wabohu)*
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
God’s creative word
reversed, transformed: hot, angry,
destructive judgement.
Judah’s foolishness:
a people skilled at evil
but no good at good.
Modern foolishness:
ignoring care for country
and global warming.
Never mind the Sun
expanding over aeons,
consuming the Earth.
We bring to ruin
the natural world’s glory:
Earth’s premature death.
Jeff Shrowder, 2025
* Translated ‘complete chaos’ (Jer. 4:23, NRSV), the phrase ‘tohu wabohu’ appears in only one other place in the Hebrew text, Genesis 1:2. The lectionary text for this Sunday contains many word images that echo the text of Genesis 1.
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