Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Kings 22:11 (New Living Translation)

11 When the king (Josiah) heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes in despair.

By accident, Hilkiah the high priest had found a copy of the Book of the Law—the law that God had given to the people. They brought a copy of the law to King Josiah and read it to him.

Josiah was so surprised and ashamed that he tore his clothes. I can hear him screaming in anguish, “But no one told me that this is what God wanted us to do!”

It had been so long since anyone had read the law. It had been so long since anyone had followed the law. It had been so long… Can you imagine a point in the future when people forget Christmas? When people forget that people used to do something different on Christmas?

There are other (hi)stories of other kings when someone found a copy of the law and read it to the king. Those other kings burned the copies so that no one would know how godless they had become. Not this king. This king went the other way.

Sometimes we need a reminder. Sometimes we need someone to bump into us and let us know that we should love that person across the coffee shop even though their kid just spilled and yelled and upset my morning. The floor can be cleaned and so can the clothes. No one needs to despair as Josiah did. We are all under the grace of God. Some of us haven’t accepted it, yet. Some of us haven’t been told about it, yet. Nevertheless, it is there waiting for us.