Waiting for the Barbarians
Thus says the Lord: See, a people is coming from the land of the north… We have heard news of them; our hands fall helpless; anguish has taken hold of us, pain as of a woman in labor. -Jeremiah 6:22a, 24 (NRSV)
In a poem written in 1898 by C.P. Cavafy, everyone rushes to gather in the forum “because the barbarians are coming today.” The emperor moves his throne to the main gate, with a scroll to present to the leader of the intruders. The senate grinds to a halt. Officials wear their finest togas and jewelry, because the barbarians love things that dazzle. Everyone waits to see what the barbarians will do.
But the barbarians never arrive! The poem ends, “Now what’s going to happen to us without barbarians? Those people were a kind of solution.”
Who benefits from our vigilant fear of barbarians? Who stands to gain from our paralysis in the face of the unknown? Entire industries create togas, weapons, and scrolls. Politicians make a living defending “us” against “them.” The powerful become more powerful as the fearful become more fearful … over food, over jobs, over sexuality.
And what if (or when) the barbaric unknown finally arrives? Will it be laughable, after so much fearful waiting? Will there be a new wave of folks getting drunk on power? Will we become bored and stop reacting?
And what if we are the barbarians, invading ourselves with doom, gloom, fear, and isolation to the point of exhaustion? Are we too willing to surrender our power over to people in power rather than our higher power?
What if God shows up before, after, despite the so-called barbarians? What if we take a breath, get a grip, stay centered, count our blessings, and smile gently at each other? Perhaps this will be the beginning of a better unknown.
Prayer
God almighty: Real and imagined invaders come and go. Wars end. Love never does. May we live accordingly.
About the AuthorDwight Lee Wolter is pastor of the Congregational Church of Patchogue on Long Island, New York, and the author of several books including The Gospel of Loneliness (The Pilgrim Press).