Maestro gives Kramer a balm for a burn he received from hot coffee on an episode of Seinfeld. The balm heals the coffee burn to Kramer’s dismay. Jackie Childs Kramer’s lawyer berates Kramer for using a balm when they had a lawsuit against the restaurant that sold Kramer the hot coffee. Such is the nature of a balm.

We need a balm. Our days are full of burns and bites and often infestations of mites. A balm is soothing. The old hymn tells us, ‘There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.’ The song says, ‘If you cannot sing like angels, If you can’t preach like Paul, You can tell the love of Jesus, And say he died for all.’

Many of us need a balm of Gilead; we are hurting from oppression and the heavy yoke of bondage. We seek justice from the government only to find malignant neglect. The church says Give me your money, and suddenly you will be rich. It is like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yet the scalding burns of hot rhetoric and cold comfort do not heal the wounds.

Leaders who change directions midday are difficult to follow. Mania is a monster of a friend. The combination of narcissism and idolatry leaves the body weak. Proclamations from the proud do not bring peace. The scales of justice are weighted.

We watch from the cheap seats. The game’s rules keep changing. We want to be included, but when to jump in…will there be a chair or will we fall on the floor when the music stops?