Soaring Eagles - Symbol of Freedom
Isaiah 40:25-31 - Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Isaiah lived in a pre-industrial society, there were no highrise buildings, and no light pollution. He could climb to the top of his house or go into a field and see the starry sky. In today's passage of Isaiah, we hear God asking this question: "To whom can you liken me as an equal? says the Holy One" (Is 40:25). The obvious answer is that there is none like our God. Then, we are told to lift our eyes and see the sky with all its greatness and beauty (see Is 40:26).
The scientists tell us that we could fit about 1.3 million Earths inside the Sun. The Sun is considered an average-sized star compared to other stars in the universe and the number of stars in the universe although unknown is estimated to be at least 100 billion trillion. There are roughly 100 to 400 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy alone and it is considered an average-sized galaxy in the universe. The latest estimates based on observations suggest that there are at least 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe. Isaiah asks: "who created these?" (Is 40:26). In view of the prophet, the universe points to the greatness of the Lord.
After reminding his readers of God's incomparable might, the prophet addresses the complaint of the Judean exiles: "My way is hidden from the Lord, my cause is ignored by my God" (see Is 40:27). Many people throughout centuries have voiced a similar complaint. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark have Jesus using the words of Psalm 22 to express the depth of his pain of being abandoned by God: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34; see Psalm 22:1). Our Catechism acknowledges that the presence of evil and suffering in the world often leads to the rejection of the belief in the existence of God. So, how does the prophet deal with the complaints of his people? After all, they had multiple reasons to complain. They saw the dead bodies of their relatives killed by the Babylonians and the ruins of the temple and the city burned by their enemies. And they ended up thousands of kilometres away living in a land of the Gentiles who claimed that their idols gave them victory over Israel.
The prophet's answer is anchored in his understanding of the greatness of God. Nothing is impossible for the Creator of the vast universe including bringing His people back home from the Babylonian exile. The image of renewing the strength of the weak and tired people aims to revive the hope of the Judean exiles. Isaiah tries to tell his people that their ways are not hidden from the Lord nor their cause is ignored by their God. What they need to do is to "wait for the Lord" (Is 40:31). In due time, the Lord will give them the strength to take up a long journey through the vast and impassable desert back home.
As I walk along the Keelung River in Ruifang I often see eagles soaring across the skies. For me, it is a symbol of freedom. And that is how Isaiah ends this beautiful passage. The Judean exiles would be liberated and everyone who waits for the Lord shall regain their freedom. "They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles' wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint" (Is 40:31).