Soliloquy about Jeremiah

On Monday I was in my Old Testament Prophets class and our teacher, Dr. Rickie Moore (an Old Testament Scholar), read to us a soliloquy that he wrote about Jeremiah. This is written as if it were Jeremiah's reflection at the end of his life. This is probably better understood read aloud, but this will have to work. It really spoke measure to me, so I wanted to share it with you and pray that it'll do the same for you.



"I remember when He first called me to be his prophet
I was young then, so young that in fear I drew back,
but so young that in ignorance I stepped forward.
Forward into that presence so strange yet so familiar,
A presence suddenly which I did not know,
but which seemed to have always known me.
I felt surrounded almost smothered,
yet more alone than I ever knew anyone could feel.

It was as if nothing else existed, only myself and His word.
And then as that word came on me it was as though even I ceased to exist.
His word filling an consuming all of me and all of the world.
So in those times when I appeared to be bold or before the crowds or the priests or the officials,
Don't be mistaken I was not bold, no more bold than a dead man,
would that God had left me there,
But each time after HIs word left me
the weaknesses of my living flesh returned with greater force than before.
I longed to be understood, to fit in, to join in the festivities, to live just a normal life,
but who could believe how abnormal life had become.
Yes who could believe, who would believe?
That was the question of my life, a question I know I ask a hundred thousand times,
Was I Gods agent to turn my people to believe,
or just a lone witness against their unwillingness, their inability to believe.
Will you tell me which?
How do you expect me to intercede for more people and at the same time proclaim their judgement.
Why don't you answer me, can't you see my crying?
Or is it you who cries?

At the first He promised that He would be with me.
How was I to know that he meant it as a warning,
How was I to know that no one could ever be prepared to be with such a God,
A God who inflict such suffering on His own, His own self.
Enough questions, my questions have brought only silence,
but it is His silence."



I hope you enjoyed this. Thanks Dr. Moore, I appreciate all you have meant in my life.