Psalm Meditation 639
Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 16, 2012

Psalm 82
1 God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
2 "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? (Selah)
3 Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."
5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk around in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 I say, "You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you;
7 nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, and fall like any prince."
8 Rise up, O God, judge the earth; for all the nations belong to you!
(NRSV)

When things go badly for someone else, we know that they did something to deserve it. The homeless, the unemployed, the chronic poor all did something to get themselves in this position. This thought process means we don’t really have to do anything for these people because they are already receiving justice, reaping the consequences of their actions and being visited by the sins of the previous generations who taught them all the bad habits.

When things go badly for us, we are not as quick to claim that we had something to do with our own predicament. When we are the ones effected, we know there must be something wrong with the system, because we did not do anything to deserve this type of treatment from the world. By the time we are in a position of weakness, that leaves us feeling helpless, hopeless and worthless, we are no longer in a position to change things in the system. We are left to languish in our situation, which is still no fault of our own.

The psalmist reminds us, that the best time to work toward justice for the poor and disenfranchised is while we have to power to act. Rather than allowing ourselves the luxury of blaming the weak and the orphan for their status, we do well to work toward a culture in which the weak and the orphan are treated with justice and fairness, even when it means we have to make a sacrifice or two in order to achieve that justice.

As children of God we do well to be the champions for those who have no power and influence in the ways of the world. God does have a heart for those who cannot defend themselves from the wiles and whims of those who use their power for personal gain. God does have a heart for those who work for justice and equity. God does have a heart for those who strive for relationships over stuff.

September 10, 2012