The Death of Ignorance
O Lord, I am your servant...
You have loosed my bonds.
I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!– Psalm 116:16-19, NRSV (emphasis added)
When an elected official takes office, many take an oath before the people they’re to represent and declare an unwavering commitment to fulfilling that oath.
When a witness testifies before a jury, they also take an oath before a courtroom full of people to “tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”
When a couple gets married, they stand before their friends and family and make a commitment to fulfill the promises they’re making to their partner.
There are many other examples, but in every case, the one making the vow/oath does so before those they intend to be held accountable by.
In Psalm 116, the psalmist has been “loosed from his bonds” – he’s been liberated (likely from death) – and calls on the name of the Lord. He writes, “I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem.”
He’s making a declaration before not only God, but also before the people with whom he does life.
In today’s world, there are a lot of individuals, churches, and businesses making lofty declarations, promises, and commitments to change. We’re in a unique cultural moment where numerous people are being liberated from the death of ignorance and the deadly grip of apathy. A resurrection, of sorts, is taking place.
Are you one of those people? If you are, then take your vow before not only God, but the people you intend to have hold you accountable.
Because without accountability, your declarations mean nothing.
Perhaps then your sacrifice of thanksgiving for being rescued from the bonds of injustice, the bonds of ignorance, and the bonds of complacency will mean something.
Matt Snyder is the Director of Communications at First Baptist Decatur. His holds a M.Div. from McAfee School of Theology and B.A. in Religion and Philosophy from Friends University. Matt is also a freelance copywriter and content marketing specialist. You can learn more about his work at CopywriterCreative.com