Impossible?

The world today is a mess.

Although there have been advances in some things, especially technology, even these advances often come with new troubles and much of what once was good in this world is gone or under attack.

And there is nothing that anyone can do about it.

So it seems now, to many, and so it seemed also in the time of the prophet Zechariah, as we hear in today’s first reading (Zechariah 8:1-8).

There had been an improvement: the People of God, or at least a remnant of them, had been able to return to the Promised Land, but the situation was still bleak and there was no hope of improvement.

An impossible situation, but the power of the Lord is infinite and full and perfect restoration will come.

Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Old men and old women,
each with staff in hand because of old age,
shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem.

The city shall be filled
with boys and girls playing in its streets.

Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Even if this should seem impossible
in the eyes of the remnant of this people,
shall it in those days be impossible in my eyes also,
says the LORD of hosts?

Likewise, when our own situation may seem impossible and even if we seem to be faced with inescapable doom, the power of the Lord is infinite and restoration of goodness shall come: full, perfect, and according to the time and wisdom of our merciful Lord.