“By the rivers of Babylon— there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our harps” (Psalm 137:1-2, NRSV). What a picture! Have you ever been in the place of exile? Are you there now? It hurts to have homing instincts and not be able to get home. It is also painful to learn what you need to be learning in exile. Listen to the Teacher. As Jeremiah (29:5, 28) said, build a home where you are until it is time to return to your home land, even if you lay its bricks with your tears.
From “The Master’s Table”, by H. Lamar Smith
