Our
first readings from the 2nd book of Kings that we have been hearing
these last several weeks have jumped around many centuries to tell the tales of
the different prophets and kings who had authority in Ancient Israel. Today
we hear how the book of the law of God was found in the Temple after having
been lost for many centuries. Many
modern Scripture scholars believe that this is the Book of Deuteronomy that was
found. King
Josiah is contrite and repentant when he hears God’s law read to him out of
this book. The words speak to him deeply. He realizes how he and his people have
strayed from God’s law in so many ways. Having found the book of the law after it had been lost for so long reminded me
of the way the remains of St James were lost for a time as well. Most
people know the story of how the remains of James were rediscovered in a cave
in the early 9th century after they had been buried there after his death
in the first century. However, less
well-known is how the remains of James were hidden in the year 1700 so that the
invading British would not find them.
Well, I guess the cathedral officials in Santiago de Compostela hid the
remains so well that they could not find them themselves for many, many years,
until they were rediscovered accidentally during construction work that was done
on the cathedral in 1879. Imagine being
a pilgrim during that time period, having walking for many of hundreds of miles
to the Cathedral in northern Spain on pilgrimage through many dangers and
through bad weather, having been told that they misplaced the remains of the
saint whom you have come to honor. It
would be quite a disappointment, wouldn’t it? Although, in some ways, have we hidden the book of God’s law in our own day in
the way we sometimes abandon God’s law in our lives or in the way we try to
manipulate it for our own gain or benefit? We
can throw stones at the Ancient Israelites for their sins and transgressions,
but we don’t want to look at our own.
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