The book of Nehemiah is not especially long, only 13 chapters. Few people preach from it and fewer know where in the Bible it is located. There are no major signs or miracles. There is not even an appearance of the voice of God speaking to the main character. In spite of all that, Nehemiah has been one of the most compelling and influential narratives that I have ever read. It is full of God's power and heart and resonates with our world today as few other stories can.
The book begins with Nehemiah living in a foreign land. The people of Israel had been overcome by the Babylonians and spread across the known world. Nehemiah finds himself in the service of the king when he hears that members of his family are arriving from Jerusalem. He questions them about the conditions from back home. They answer succinctly: the city walls are destroyed; the gates are burned; the people are in great distress.
The ancient world had no greater defense than city walls. Well-made walls provided protection and security, advanced warning, immense strategic advantage and hope. Walls allowed the people to sleep easily at night, knowing they were safe. Even if an opposing army greatly outnumbered the city's forces, walls turned battles into sieges, granting the defenders an excellent chance of outlasting their opponents.
Jerusalem had no walls. Nothing to prevent, or even deter, anyone who had a grudge from attacking and taking anything they wanted. Nothing to provide warning of threat. The people of Jerusalem lived with no safety, no security, and no rest as they wondered when the next assault would fall upon them. Wondering what, or who, would be taken from them next time.
As I went over the story of Nehemiah with the Joel's Place staff, we were struck by how much in common our kids have with these citizens of Jerusalem. When home is not safe and school is a struggle and the climate is lethal and the streets or a friend's couch are your only refuge, you live just like those men and women did. You live without rest, wondering when the next assault or insult will come. You live without thought of the past or thought of the future...there is only now that must be survived. Consequences and planning are irrelevant and so you fight or you cheat or you lie or you seduce or you intimidate. Whatever it takes. You push people away who may be trying to help you. You find a pack of others who are struggling to survive. You are always wary of betrayal and quick to run. That is the effect of not having a wall. That is the effect of not having a family or community that defend you from the world.
Nehemiah's first reaction was to mourn for his people...mine is often to get frustrated and find someone more pleasant to spend time with. And yet I am drawn back to these at-risk young people over and over again. Sometimes it is compassion that leads me to sit and talk. Often it is my duties that require me to enter into their lives and for that I am grateful. Everything that we do at Joel's Place is for the express purpose of welcoming in kids who have no walls in their lives and helping to build them. We feed them when they are hungry. We give shelter from the elements. We provide places to study and places to rest and places to laugh.We invite them into community and say that they are loved here, even if that is the only time it is true in their entire day.
The staff and I will be in Nehemiah for a while. I would invite you to read it over as well. Spend some time allowing God's heart for the oppressed to speak to you. Ask if there is something He would have you do as the temperatures continue to drop and our homeless youth population begin another winter without homes. May God pour his Grace out upon us all.
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