You may remember the story of Naboth’s vineyard in 1 Kings 21. Naboth, just an ordinary citizen, has a flourishing vineyard near to King Ahab’s palace, which he looks after and wants to keep as an inheritance for his children. However, the King sees it and wants it for himself. He asks Naboth to sell it to him and even offers to swap it for a larger plot, but Naboth doesn’t want to sell. The King goes home and sulks. His wife Queen Jezebel plots with him to have Naboth killed so that they can then take his land.
Naboth stood up for what was rightfully his and it was taken from him by larger bullying forces. Nothing has changed. In Gaza, Israel and the West Bank, unknown, innocent victims are maimed and killed in fighting over land. We are called to stand alongside Naboth to urge those with power to struggle for a just and equitable settlement, a fair and lasting peace. When peace missions, negotiations and summit meetings fail, we can call for pauses and ceasefires to stop the fighting and care for the children.
There is a story in Mark’s gospel (Mark 14:3-9) of an unnamed woman who anoints Jesus. She is dismissed in her culture as being of no importance, but Jesus would not let her faith and action be ignored. She recognised and honoured Jesus as He respected her. We are called to stand alongside her in places of suffering and sacrifice where unnamed women weep for their families. Where they can’t anoint or bury their dead as they don’t have all the pieces of their blown-to-bits bodies. Where unnamed ordinary parents join hands and hearts in shared sorrow across religious, racial and political divides to bring shattered and broken communities together. To bridge separation and build peace.
A prayer: God of love and justice, we pray for all the ‘Naboth’s’ and unnamed women in our troubled world today. Show us, through their stories, heard and seen on our screens and devices in words and pictures, how to look at ourselves. May we examine our values and beliefs, priorities and plans, actions and promises and those of the governments we place in power, through Your eyes. Amen