I was struck this morning while reading from 2 Chronicles 30. It's where Hezekiah has gone through and cleansed the city, getting rid of pagan shrines and idols, consecrating priests and preparing for the re-estalishment of Passover. He sent personal letters to surrounding communities inviting them to come and celebrate to Israel's God. They'd even moved the date back a month so that as hosts they would be properly prepared. No one living had ever celebrated the Passover properly, says v.5. He sent an invitation to attend, to come back to God, to turn around, to clasp God's outstretched hand. He wrote, "If you come back to God, your captive relatives and children will be treated compassionately and allowed to come home. Your God is gracious and kind and won't snub you--come back and he'll come back to you with open arms." (v.8-9)
A huge crowd obeyed and came to attend the Passover. v. 18-19 continue:
"There were a lot of people, especially those from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, who did not eat the Passover meal because they had not prepared themselves adequately. Hezekiah prayed for these as follows: 'May God who is all good, pardon and forgive everyone who sincerely desires God, the God of our ancestors. Even--especially!--these who do not meet the literal conditions stated for access to The Temple.'
"God responded to Hezekiah's prayer and healed the people."
I was struck, and continue to wonder as I reflect on this passage, and on the unselfish prayer of a king for those who don't quite conform even to his understood biblical/legal standards. Rather than pray for judgment and separation, he prayed for God's pardon and mercy and forgiveness...and God responded. Most of us can agree that we know that God's healing does not always look like what we want it to look like. Oh, that we could pray in such a way, with great and good intention, for those with whom we disagree, especially on interpretation of biblical/legal standards. How might God hear, and heal we who are God's people?
