Listen:

Look towards the east, O Jerusalem,
and see the joy that is coming to you from God.
Look, your children are coming, whom you sent away;
they are coming, gathered from east and west,
at the word of the Holy One,
rejoicing in the glory of God.

Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem,
and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God.
Put on the robe of the righteousness that comes from God;
put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting;
for God will show your splendor everywhere under heaven.
For God will give you evermore the name,
‘Righteous Peace, Godly Glory’.

Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height;
look towards the east,
and see your children gathered from west and east
at the word of the Holy One,
rejoicing that God has remembered them.
For they went out from you on foot,
led away by their enemies;
but God will bring them back to you,
carried in glory, as on a royal throne.

For God has ordered that every high mountain and the everlasting hills be made low
and the valleys filled up, to make level ground,
so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God.
The woods and every fragrant tree
have shaded Israel at God’s command.
For God will lead Israel with joy,
in the light of his glory,
with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.

[Baruch 4:36 – 5:9]

Adoration of the Magi, Gentile da Fabriano, 1423. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.

Read top-to-bottom, this devotional expresses the truth felt by the trodden, the afflicted, and the lost.  Read from the bottom-up, a different perspective, it provides a message of hope:

It’s not time to look East and watch for the light
I refuse to believe that
The holy one is coming
We have so little to hope for
It’s foolish to believe
We will be carried
Just sit there and wait
I will not
Be excited that the promised Son is coming
You see, they say
Our children have gathered
You sent them away
And although
We haven’t been remembered
I refuse to believe that
We will be found
Make sure you’re looking
I will not take off the mourning clothes or
I dress myself in dignity, really how can you say
Everything is now leveled
I concede that
We are not ready for a time to love justice
It’s a lie that
Time has finally come for glory