How Long?
Rev 6:10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”
How long have you been locked away from the larger outside world during this quarantine? Two months of isolation with limited access to others while sequestered among the same two or three people can be a little tedious. How much longer can you imagine having to endure this surreal existence? Whether you agree with the speed of your state’s lifting of restrictions or not, it is understandable that people are clamoring for the return to outdoor access and social interactions. It’s hard to be deprived of the freedom of movement.
How long would you last being confined in a limited space? Four months? A year? How about twenty-four years?
Derrick Hamilton, twenty-four years ago, was locked in solitary confinement for a murder he insisted he did not commit. Over the twenty years of serving his sentence, he maintained his innocence. Furthermore, he educated himself and began helping other inmates in legal matters, appealing their cases. Armed with knowledge and drive, Derrick prevailed over his prosecutors to dismiss his conviction after an eyewitness recanted her testimony against him. Derrick was freed in 2019.
In November of 2019, Derrick Hamilton successfully reversed the injustice committed against him by settling a lawsuit against three police officers for fabricating evidence against him. City of New York and New Haven agreed to pay $7million in the settlement.
It is encouraging to hear of a wrong made right, especially when there is so much injustice, inequality, and systemic abuse we see in our world today. The difficult question is, Would you be able to wait twenty-four years for justice?
You can understand the entreaty posed by the martyred saints in their cry, “How long, Sovereign Lord,” in Rev 6:10. The question, “How long,” isn’t so much a desire to know the date or duration; it’s more an expression of “Why are you unmoved at the present condition?” For those who trust in God’s sovereignty over the affairs of the world, it is a valid display of exasperation.
I have those feelings, too. When I see fraudsters taking advantage of the vulnerable to enrich themselves, I ask, “Why doesn’t God intervene?” The progress of those who would deceive and divide people for their own gain is deeply frustrating when those who work toward unity and truth seem suppressed. I struggle with a sense of paralysis over the powerfully entrenched system of bias and oppression that comfortably occupy our society.
The response to the martyred saints of Revelation 6 is not encouraging. Basically (in verse 11), they are told to wait a little longer until more are martyred as they were. This is hardly a message of hope! If Derrick Hamilton asked “How long until my injustice is avenged?” and the response was “twenty four years of incarceration for you and many other innocent falsely convicted,” I am sure Derrick would question the Person in charge.
Here’s my takeaway for those of us who must live in the world and not be of the world. It’s not a feel good message, but something we should keep in mind. Firstly, we are told that these martyrs are given a white robe. This is rather strange. Why give dead people clothes to wear?
In my reflection, the unusual imagery is to point out that the work of the martyrs are recognized. Their contemporaries may not have appreciated their efforts, but the One who sees hearts and judges rightly takes note of every instance of principled emulation of God’s commands displayed practically through their actions. We are not alone and unnoticed when we work to live out God’s principles.
Secondly, we are partners with heavenly agencies and other like-minded people. There are, and will continue to be, “fellow servants” who will stand for the right, who will make sacrifices, and who will lay down their lives for the cause of God’s principles, of correcting injustice, and of widening the kingdom of God.
Are those two takeaways hopeful? Maybe...maybe not. Nevertheless, it describes our situation as we look for the Second Coming: you are seen and you have partners. Derrick Hamilton, in his effort to free himself, worked as an advocate for others, becoming an activist for the innocent. As we work for God’s justice to encompass our world, we do well to take on some of that motivation. God's challenge to us is to overcome our sense of paralysis, of "how long" exasperation, and partner with God and with others in representing a loving and just God for this troubled world, as long as it takes.
Pastor D. David Kim is the Associate Pastor of Washington-Spencerville Korean, Good Hope Adventist Church.