|
Brian's Blog
You may have heard of the ancient blessing, supposedly originating in China: “May you live in interesting times.” The expression is ironic; ‘interesting times’ means ‘times of trouble.’ The saying is intended as a curse disguised as a blessing. Maybe you can relate to this, because we certainly live in interesting times!
My own view is that this has always been the case. And so, not surprisingly, there is a Psalm that speaks especially loudly during troubled times such as ours. It is Psalm 23, perhaps the most beloved passage in all the Bible. As it happens, Psalm 23 is appointed to be read in worship on this coming Sunday.
Psalm 23 is about an oasis of still waters and green pastures in the vast desert of life.
It’s worth emphasizing that this is a poem. The thing about poetry is that it aims to touch us in our hearts rather than our heads. The question to ask about this psalm is not: “What does it mean?” but instead “What does it mean to me?”
We can all agree that the poet of the twenty-third psalm is offering a deep truth about the providence and care of God. But it would be a misreading of the psalm to say that the speaker is living a life free of trouble. The speaker must know the feeling of fear, of thirst, of hunger, of want. Only someone who has wandered in a desert can truly rejoice at finding an oasis of still waters and green pastures. Only someone who has seen disease, or famine, or war, or felt fear or anxiety for the future could call the world in which they live “the Valley of the Shadow of Death.” Our poet knows what means to lack what they need.
And yet, we have their poem of confident trust that God will deliver us from every evil and bring us to the oasis. That God will fix what has been broken. That God will restore our souls.
How that scriptural truth touches you will be different from how it touches me. Because we are different people, with different concerns, different circumstances, and different experiences of how God seems present with us, or absent from us, in our lives.
If we are feeling content, free of fear or want, we might say “yes,” this poem speaks the truth. If we are worried, or alone, or afraid, we might be skeptical of the claim that “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Both circumstances speak to our humanity, to the ups and downs of life in a desert place where an oasis surely might be found, but can seem hidden, distant, or out-of-reach.
The twenty-third Psalm really is a gem. It is an expression of faith. It is an image of Christ the Good Shepherd. Above all, Psalm 23 is a beautiful, highly personal prayer. In our times of contentment, the 23rd Psalm serves us well as a song of thanksgiving. In our fearful times, when shadows seem threatening, it is a reassuring song of confidence that God will answer our pleas for guidance and help.
Barely 100 words long, this little prayer can fit in your pocket, or be easily memorized so it is always with you. If you ever find yourself in need of words to pray, whether in times of abundance or in “interesting times” of trouble or need, Psalm 23 is there just for you.
Fr. Brian+
| 
