It seems that a lot of what I see going on in the world these days just isn't good. Actually, that's putting it mildly. Wars, kidnappings, public displays of people being killed or raped, and the like seem to be dominating mainstream media these days. Add to that political infighting, societal discrimination, removal of personal rights in favor of corporate rights, ecological destruction, and so much more and it really does look like the world is falling apart; at least humanity's version of the world as we see it.
You know, the world which Zechariah saw wasn't so different. And yet, he found words which were meant to bring comfort to those who were doing their best to hold on to hope. Speaking to an exiled people, a people without a home and more devastating a world without a place for their God, Zechariah says that we should never give up hope because God is with them, and will bring them back to a life filled with peace.
It might have seemed like a far-fetched promise, or empty words at best, for the people of Israel, but they were words that probably needed to be said nonetheless. The words kept a dispersed people focused on the one thing that truly was the center of their lives - their God.
Perhaps that's what's missing in our world, a focus on the things which really are important to us as humans. Wealth, power, hierarchy, how much we own, how good we look to others have all replaced living in unity and honoring each person's place in society. Being better than our neighbor has replaced making our neighbor better.
But, if we heed the voice of Zechariah, and focus on the things which are important to humanity as a whole - freedom to live free as the person you are meant to be, and to be a society which accepts each person's place within that society, then perhaps our world would be a better place.
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