Faith Seeking Understanding: Imagining the Book of Job
Hebrew Whirlwind
Chuck Hoffman
Charcoal on paper
© Genesis+Art
Genesis + Art studio, Kansas City, Missouri
On this Good Friday I came across some writing I had done on the book of Job. This is a day of reflection on pain and suffering. Kansas City has been in the news for senseless killings at the Jewish Community Center. The world seems to groan under the weight of the trampling of life and oppression. The author of Job captures this human condition and gives us something to think about today in our modern culture.
The journey for Job is a treacherous path of pain and suffering. His long fall from his understanding of grace, pushes a confrontation with God through sacred questions; “What have I done to you oh Lord? Have you not guided my steps through life, did you not create me in my mother’s womb? Will you destroy what you have created? Why have you made me your target? Why have I become a burden to you? Is there hope?” He struggles with moving beyond what he has known about community being built upon common wisdom of divine reward and punishment. He goes on to challenge God’s creative motives. Job speaks from the “bitterness of my soul” to confront God and attempts to provoke a response to find his own reason for being. What Job sees in God’s creation transforms him. We hear the writer’s words, but Job sees and feels something in the magnitude of the cosmos. As he rides the whirlwind Job moves outside of his suffering, sees his questions not answered directly, but becomes satisfied with God’s
response. What does hope look like? What was so powerful in the vision that Job becomes a new person? His pain and loss aren’t erased from his mind, but once again the breath of God kindles love in his heart. Job is renewed and shows us hope springing forth from the despair that life produces.
Job is transformed and decides to live a creative life rather than the letter of the law. He has changed how he himself lives life, remains faithful, humble before God but his very being has been changed and enlightened.
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