Some time ago, Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo called for national penance, as an invitation for us to be brave and willing to reflect on the state of the Indonesian nation. He reminded us that sin is not just a personal matter, but can be a social sin, when injustice, greed, and violence are taken for granted. Today, that call seems to resonate again.
In Psalm 106:31-40, the psalmist writes about the nation of Israel failing to keep its calling. Instead of doing as God commanded, they "mingled with them and learned their ways." It may seem simple and commonplace at first, just mingling, just adapting to another nation's way of life. But from that small compromise, a major deviation was born. They began to worship idols, even sacrificing their children to Canaanite idols. At that point, says the psalmist, "the land was polluted with blood debt.
Friends of the Bible, similar but not the same, don't we also live in a polluted land today, not because of war, but because of injustice that continues to be tolerated? The corruption that eats away at us, the violence that is displayed, the nature that is destroyed for the benefit of a few elite groups, the voices of the weak that are ignored. All of these are modern forms of idolatry: when we trade truth for convenience, or the future for ambition. We find, then, that Psalm 106 is not just a historical record, but a mirror for us to reflect upon. It shows us that sin can disguise itself as a habit that stains the ground we stand on. So that the only way of recovery is mutual repentance. Not just admitting to being wrong, but daring to change. In simple language, it is to return to the center of life, back to God's vision and mission for all of His creation.
In a world weary of moral compromise, this Psalm reminds us that God is still waiting for a people who dare to cleanse the land with honesty, love, and justice. A weeping land awaits hands willing to replant hope, and perhaps, true repentance can begin in the simplest of ways: when we stop turning a blind eye to the wounds of the world, and start caring again.
#DailyScriptureReading #renungan #renunganharian #saatteduh #renunganmazmur & #lembagaalkitabindonesia
