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The News from Far Away

Nehemiah lived far from his homeland, inside the shining palace city of Susa. He served as cupbearer to the king of Persia, a position of deep trust. Every day he tasted the royal wine to prove that it was safe. His hands were steady, his manners were polished, and his life was safe and comfortable.

One winter, his brother Hanani arrived with travelers from the land of Judah. Nehemiah asked them eagerly about Jerusalem, the ancient city of his ancestors. The answer fell on him like a stone dropped from a great height. The walls of Jerusalem still lay in ruins, and its gates were burned black. The people who lived there felt ashamed and afraid, open to every enemy who passed.

Nehemiah sat down and wept, and for days he could hardly eat. A city without walls was like a body without skin, he thought. Yet he did not allow his grief to remain nothing more than grief. He began to pray, and inside his prayers a plan slowly took shape. He would need permission, protection, timber, and above all a steady and patient heart.