Yesterday morning, I woke up before my family. The garden needed water before another climate-change heat wave day. The chickens were squawking to be freed from the coop. I heard the busy rhythm of the freeway below, commuters taking familiar spaces in the queue. From the deck, I saw marine traffic picking up in the first morning light. I prayed for those who wake even earlier, taking their children to whatever child care was available in this impossible time to be a parent. I prayed for my literal neighbors experiencing persecution, and my Biblical neighbors who would be marginalized by the heat today.
Then, I drove to a diner down the street to campaign for a woman who speaks up for the poor. I stood side by side with the old and young, talking to the walking commuters and the housing insecure. I waved signs to the business owners, military, families and commuters on the way to other places. I shared ideas about Christianity in action, loving neighbors well and advocating for equity in the school system I benefit from so greatly.
In these acts of worship, I meditated on the words preserved in Scripture from a woman known only as someone's mother. Words intended for a male audience of one were used to bully young girls into perfection in churches in my own nation. But, words have redemptive power. The advice from a boy mom, thousands of years ago, is relevant and powerful today:
I came home from the campaign event to reflect on the life that exists within and because of our home. I bought the land, worked hard to restore it, and use the bounty to bless our community, because God's love is all-encompassing and faithful. I teach my son to love the poor, the needy, the gay, the angry, the damaged and the unkind; that is, to love all like family. I consider the angry rhetoric he is exposed to without me and double-down on the ancient words of Lemuel's mom: "Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy." My little Love knows more empathy for the homeless, the raped, the oppressed by racist systems than most adults. I love his tender heart and will fight like Lemuel's mom to cultivate compassion in the greatest garden of my son's soul. Like she suggests, I will do my utmost to provide every resource available with ethic, sustainable urgency to my Family: the marginalized around us.
The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:
2 What are you doing, my son?1 What are you doing, fson of my womb?
What are you doing, gson of my vows?
3 Do hnot give your strength to women,
your ways to those iwho destroy kings.
4 jIt is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings kto drink wine,
or for rulers to take lstrong drink,
5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
and mpervert the rights of all the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to the one who nis perishing,
and wine to othose in bitter distress;2
7 plet them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
8 qOpen your mouth for the mute,
for the rights of all who are destitute.3
9 Open your mouth, rjudge righteously,
sdefend the rights of tthe poor and needy.
The Woman Who Fears the Lord
10 4 uAn excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than vjewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She wseeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15 She xrises while it is yet night
and yprovides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She zdresses herself5 with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She aopens her hand to bthe poor
and reaches out her hands to bthe needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in cscarlet.6
22 She makes dbed coverings for herself;
her clothing is efine linen and fpurple.
23 Her husband is known in gthe gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes hlinen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 iStrength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many jwomen have done kexcellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 lCharm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.
As my little Love learns the ABC's, he struggles with the order of the letters. But, consistently and intentionally, he's adjusted the final lyric for community. "Mommy, I changed it on purpose," he informs me, "I like to sing 'Next time won't you sing with us.' It's because I always want to sing it with someone." A highlight of his week is adding food donations to the little community pantry planted in front of the community garden at our local Church. In my family, we fear the LORD. Like Lemuel's mother suggests, our fear of the LORD manifests in actions that strangers engage in and benefit from. Praise be to God, for living and active words.