Not much to inspire here!

I open the sacred text in anticipation of inspiring insight.

Today the set passage is Job 7:1-7.

It lands us right in the midst of Job’s despair and he is giving full vent. He has lost everything – home, wealth, health. He has every right to his pity party and who could grudge him that.

So why is my first impulse impatience? Is it that my expectation of this daily time set aside to meditate and contemplate my tradition’s sacred text falls short? Does it remind me too much of my own stresses and challenges for which these short oasis times should offer relief? Is this text too depressing to be of any value?

Yet promise is present.

In the Hebrew context of confidence in G-d’s provision and Job’s experience of its total absence, Job is still free to express himself. And here’s the rub. Job is still addressing his complaint to the G-d that seems to be not there. He is still oriented to the Author and Completer of his faith.

The Via Negativa is a strong strand in Christian tradition and experience, forging hope and life and service out of things that “are not.” Once everything we believe we have and are stripped away, what is left?

So this passage that has nothing within itself to inspire can lead to a deeper place with a stronger foundation.