Week Three
December 15, 2021
Sacred Autonomy
Micah 4:8-13
But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand his plan… Micah 4:12a
A common trope in novels, television, and movies is the damsel in distress. A woman, usually young and beautiful, is captured by an evil villain who threatens her life and virtue, thus enticing the hero, usually a young and equally beautiful man, into the villain’s lair to rescue the fair lady at risk. A great fight ensues, the leading man carries away the leading lady, who, of course, falls hopelessly in love with her rescuer, and they ride happily off into the sunset.
In this text, the city of Jerusalem is depicted as a damsel in distress being held captive in Babylon, waiting to be rescued, not by a human hero, but by the LORD. Her captors are drooling over her, thinking that she is there for the taking.
But Lady Jerusalem does not sit around waiting to be rescued. In fact, rescue is not even in the LORD’s plan for her. Instead, God’s plan is for her to take matters into her own hands and provide her own rescue herself.
She has a “king” and a “counselor” within her (v. 9)—her own strong spirit, breathed into her by the God who created her. God’s plan for her, and for all people of all genders, is that we all have sovereignty over our own selves, a king and a counselor within each of us.
We all were created and called very good by a loving God whose desire for all of us is to flourish in lives of sacred autonomy, living out every dream that the Divine has for us and that we have for ourselves.
Rev. Renee Goodwin
Theological Reflection Group Facilitator and
Pastor of First Christian Church of Girard, KS
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