Psalm Meditation 492
Reign of Christ Sunday
November 22, 2009

Psalm 69:1-16
1 Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.
2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.
3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.
4 More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; many are those who would destroy me, my enemies who accuse me falsely. What I did not steal must I now restore?
5 O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.
6 Do not let those who hope in you be put to shame because of me, O Lord GOD of hosts; do not let those who seek you be dishonored because of me, O God of Israel.
7 It is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that shame has covered my face.
8 I have become a stranger to my kindred, an alien to my mother's children.
9 It is zeal for your house that has consumed me; the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
10 When I humbled my soul with fasting, they insulted me for doing so.
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.
12 I am the subject of gossip for those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me. With your faithful help
14 rescue me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters.
15 Do not let the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the Pit close its mouth over me.
16 Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
(NRSV)

When someone outside of our comfort group does something bad or foolish we have a tendency to paint everyone else in that group with the same broad brush of guilt by association. In this case it seems to be the psalmist who bears some guilt for foolish acts. There appear to be repercussions that go beyond the actual act that will cause problems not only for the psalmist but for all of the psalmist’s people. In many cases we have no problem thinking and talking as if, “those people are all alike” until someone puts us into a group of ‘those people.’

Like the psalmist, most of us are guilty of some foolish act that will reflect poorly on us. If we are not a part of the in crowd our action will also reflect poorly on the rest of our group. Because some clergy are guilty of sins involving sex or money there are folks who will see all clergy as sex fiends and money grubbers. Whatever your profession, religion, ethnic or social background there are those who will expect you to be as bad as the worst in your particular group.

We may begin our ‘us against them’ mentality to protect ourselves from being hurt in some way by ‘those people.’ At the same time we keep ourselves from experiencing the richness that individuals with experiences beyond our own can bring to bear on our own experiences. In every relationship there is a risk of getting hurt by the other. In every relationship there is the possibility of being enriched by the other. Yes, some of ‘those people’ will hurt us as is true of those within our particular group.

God continually calls us to risk and grow. It is scary and exciting. We will make mistakes and do foolish things. God is and will be with us each time we make the choice to risk toward relationship.

© November 16, 2009