Psalm Meditation 720
Fifth Sunday of Lent
April 6, 2014
Psalm 44
1 We have heard with our ears, O God, our ancestors have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old:
2 you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free;
3 for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm give them victory; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your countenance, for you delighted in them.
4 You are my King and my God; you command victories for Jacob.
5 Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down our assailants.
6 For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our foes, and have put to confusion those who hate us.
8 In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah
9 Yet you have rejected us and abased us, and have not gone out with our armies.
10 You made us turn back from the foe, and our enemies have gotten spoil.
11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter, and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them.
13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face
16 at the words of the taunters and revilers, at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.
17 All this has come upon us, yet we have not forgotten you, or been false to your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way,
19 yet you have broken us in the haunt of jackals, and covered us with deep darkness.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God, or spread out our hands to a strange god,
21 would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Because of you we are being killed all day long, and accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
23 Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not cast us off forever!
24 Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For we sink down to the dust our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up, come to our help. Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love.
(NRSV)
One way of seeing the presence of God is to believe that when things are going well for us God is with us, when they are not going well God has abandoned us. This is the view of the psalmist. The behavior of God is determined by the way we behave. When we are good and faithful all is well and God fights for us in battle and delivers us from all the things we find unpleasant at any time. When we are bad and unfaithful God walks away from us allowing folks from other nations to come in and beat us up until we return to the ways of God. The presence of God depends on us and our behavior. The presence of God becomes conditional.
Another view is that God is with us all the time no matter what. When we are faithful we are able to sense the presence of God more easily as we are conscious of all the ways God is with us in any given time. When we are bad and unfaithful God is with us even though we may be distracted and unable or unwilling to focus on God’s presence. The presence of God is a choice made by God to be with us in all times and places. The presence of God is unconditional.
Either choice we make we will find ways to justify our decision. When things go badly for us we will either believe that God has caused this because of our sinfulness or we will believe that God is with us in this particular calamity offering us the gift of presence in this terrible circumstance. When things go well for us we will either believe that God is with us because we are good and have done something to deserve the presence of God or we will believe that God is with us in this particular bit of good fortune offering us the gift of presence in this excellent circumstance.
I believe that the presence of God is not affected by my behavior. God is present with me, with us, in all times and places, helping us, redeeming us, comforting us and loving us with a steadfast and unconditional love.
March 31, 2014
Monday, March 31, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
Psalm Meditation 719
Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 30, 2014
Psalm 94
1 O LORD, you God of vengeance, you God of vengeance, shine forth!
2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; give to the proud what they deserve!
3 O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?
4 They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast.
5 They crush your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage.
6 They kill the widow and the stranger, they murder the orphan,
7 and they say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.”
8 Understand, O dullest of the people; fools, when will you be wise?
9 He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?
10 He who disciplines the nations, he who teaches knowledge to humankind,
does he not chastise?
11The LORD knows our thoughts, that they are but an empty breath.
12 Happy are those whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law,
13 giving them respite from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;
15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?
17 If the LORD had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.
18 When I thought, “My foot is slipping,” your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.
19 When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.
20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who contrive mischief by statute?
21 They band together against the life of the righteous, and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.
23 He will repay them for their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the LORD our God will wipe them out.
(NRSV)
One of the difficulties of our current political scene is that we are so deeply entrenched in our own views that we know it could not possibly be the party I support that contrives mischief by statue. It must be those evil doers on the other side who are to blame for all the troubles, not only of this country but of the whole world. Because it is your side rather than mine that is evil it is up to you to change, to respond in the same way my side says we would respond if we were in your position. I am sure this attitude is not confined to one country since it is visible on so many levels of politics from local to international.
Many years ago, probably at the height of the Social Gospel movement, it was the Democrats in the US who had the corner on religious affiliation. Over the years that has reversed and Republicans are the ones who are seen as the religious party. Interestingly, in survey results from many years ago, politicians were much more likely to vote with their party’s viewpoints than with the views of the denomination of which they were members. It is more likely that a religious faction, liberal or conservative, will align themselves with a political philosophy than political parties will line up with religious doctrine.
Political leaders throughout the world are probably not as good and pure as we want to see the folks on our side, and not as evil as we want those other folks to be. God works through people, through relationships, through those in and out of politics who are taking a stand against evil. Is your party in the right or in the wrong? The answer is probably, “yes, a little of both.” It is not about political party, it is about having God as our stronghold and refuge.
March 24, 2014
Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 30, 2014
Psalm 94
1 O LORD, you God of vengeance, you God of vengeance, shine forth!
2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; give to the proud what they deserve!
3 O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?
4 They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast.
5 They crush your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage.
6 They kill the widow and the stranger, they murder the orphan,
7 and they say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.”
8 Understand, O dullest of the people; fools, when will you be wise?
9 He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?
10 He who disciplines the nations, he who teaches knowledge to humankind,
does he not chastise?
11The LORD knows our thoughts, that they are but an empty breath.
12 Happy are those whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law,
13 giving them respite from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;
15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?
17 If the LORD had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.
18 When I thought, “My foot is slipping,” your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.
19 When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.
20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who contrive mischief by statute?
21 They band together against the life of the righteous, and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.
23 He will repay them for their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the LORD our God will wipe them out.
(NRSV)
One of the difficulties of our current political scene is that we are so deeply entrenched in our own views that we know it could not possibly be the party I support that contrives mischief by statue. It must be those evil doers on the other side who are to blame for all the troubles, not only of this country but of the whole world. Because it is your side rather than mine that is evil it is up to you to change, to respond in the same way my side says we would respond if we were in your position. I am sure this attitude is not confined to one country since it is visible on so many levels of politics from local to international.
Many years ago, probably at the height of the Social Gospel movement, it was the Democrats in the US who had the corner on religious affiliation. Over the years that has reversed and Republicans are the ones who are seen as the religious party. Interestingly, in survey results from many years ago, politicians were much more likely to vote with their party’s viewpoints than with the views of the denomination of which they were members. It is more likely that a religious faction, liberal or conservative, will align themselves with a political philosophy than political parties will line up with religious doctrine.
Political leaders throughout the world are probably not as good and pure as we want to see the folks on our side, and not as evil as we want those other folks to be. God works through people, through relationships, through those in and out of politics who are taking a stand against evil. Is your party in the right or in the wrong? The answer is probably, “yes, a little of both.” It is not about political party, it is about having God as our stronghold and refuge.
March 24, 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
Psalm Meditation 718
Third Sunday in Lent
March 23, 2014
Psalm 7
1 O LORD my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me,
2 or like a lion they will tear me apart; they will drag me away, with no one to rescue.
3 O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands,
4 if I have repaid my ally with harm or plundered my foe without cause,
5 then let the enemy pursue and overtake me, trample my life to the ground,
and lay my soul in the dust. Selah
6 Rise up, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake, O my God; you have appointed a judgment.
7 Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered around you, and over it take your seat on high.
8 The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.
9 O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous, you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God.
10 God is my shield, who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day.
12 If one does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and strung his bow;
13 he has prepared his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.
14 See how they conceive evil, and are pregnant with mischief, and bring forth lies.
15 They make a pit, digging it out, and fall into the hole that they have made.
16 Their mischief returns upon their own heads, and on their own heads their violence descends.
17 I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.
(NRSV)
The desire for revenge may be one of the things that makes us human. We want those who have done wrong or evil to pay a price for their actions. The psalmist takes an important step in these verses; recognizing the possibility of personal fault. The psalmist is open to receive punishment at the hand of enemies if there is any fault on the part of the writer. It seems like a good place to start any rant against our enemies. I wonder if our various tirades about our enemies would be any different if we would begin each one with the acknowledgement of the possibility that we may have contributed to this situation, or that we might be guilty of the same kind or evil toward someone else.
To be able to confess our own failings and evil inclinations may soften the judgments we ask God to rain down on the folks who have done evil to us. If God punishes everyone who is guilty with the punishment I request for those who have done me dirty, I might want to tone down my request a bit if the same fate will fall to me for similar behavior. It may not, probably won’t, make us any less hurt and angry about the harm that has come to us in any given moment. Over the course of our lives we may find ourselves willing to put ourselves into the skins of those we perceive as evil. We may find ourselves able to see a human side to the most evil of people.
This does not mean that we will not be hurt and angered by the things that happen to us in our lives. It certainly does not mean that there is not evil in the world; both intentional and inadvertent. It does leave us open to the possibility that we are, each and all, human and in need of forgiveness and love in the face of who we are and what we do. We may also realize that the loving presence of God we crave is available even to the most vile person in our lives. While our inclination is to pray that God will physically wipe out our enemies, it seems that the inclination of God is to love us in spite of and because of who we are.
March 17, 2014
Third Sunday in Lent
March 23, 2014
Psalm 7
1 O LORD my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me,
2 or like a lion they will tear me apart; they will drag me away, with no one to rescue.
3 O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands,
4 if I have repaid my ally with harm or plundered my foe without cause,
5 then let the enemy pursue and overtake me, trample my life to the ground,
and lay my soul in the dust. Selah
6 Rise up, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake, O my God; you have appointed a judgment.
7 Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered around you, and over it take your seat on high.
8 The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.
9 O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous, you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God.
10 God is my shield, who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day.
12 If one does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and strung his bow;
13 he has prepared his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.
14 See how they conceive evil, and are pregnant with mischief, and bring forth lies.
15 They make a pit, digging it out, and fall into the hole that they have made.
16 Their mischief returns upon their own heads, and on their own heads their violence descends.
17 I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.
(NRSV)
The desire for revenge may be one of the things that makes us human. We want those who have done wrong or evil to pay a price for their actions. The psalmist takes an important step in these verses; recognizing the possibility of personal fault. The psalmist is open to receive punishment at the hand of enemies if there is any fault on the part of the writer. It seems like a good place to start any rant against our enemies. I wonder if our various tirades about our enemies would be any different if we would begin each one with the acknowledgement of the possibility that we may have contributed to this situation, or that we might be guilty of the same kind or evil toward someone else.
To be able to confess our own failings and evil inclinations may soften the judgments we ask God to rain down on the folks who have done evil to us. If God punishes everyone who is guilty with the punishment I request for those who have done me dirty, I might want to tone down my request a bit if the same fate will fall to me for similar behavior. It may not, probably won’t, make us any less hurt and angry about the harm that has come to us in any given moment. Over the course of our lives we may find ourselves willing to put ourselves into the skins of those we perceive as evil. We may find ourselves able to see a human side to the most evil of people.
This does not mean that we will not be hurt and angered by the things that happen to us in our lives. It certainly does not mean that there is not evil in the world; both intentional and inadvertent. It does leave us open to the possibility that we are, each and all, human and in need of forgiveness and love in the face of who we are and what we do. We may also realize that the loving presence of God we crave is available even to the most vile person in our lives. While our inclination is to pray that God will physically wipe out our enemies, it seems that the inclination of God is to love us in spite of and because of who we are.
March 17, 2014
Monday, March 10, 2014
Psalm Meditation 717
Second Sunday in Lent
March 16, 2014
Psalm 145
1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed, and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your faithful shall bless you.
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power,
12 to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.
14 The LORD upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing.
17 The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of all who fear him; he also hears their cry, and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.
(NRSV)
One of my psychologist friends told me, “All anger is a boat floating on a sea of fear. Once you figure out what you are afraid of, you don’t have to be angry anymore.” It is a generalization and it has its exceptions, however it does give weight to verse 8, “The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” God is slow to anger because God is not afraid of us. I get angry when I am afraid that I may be wrong. I get angry when I am afraid I have lost control. I get angry when I am afraid that my opinion does not matter to someone whose opinion I value. I get angry when I am afraid that something important to me is of much less importance to someone else. I get angry when I am afraid that someone I value is being attacked and needs to be defended. I get angry when I am afraid someone I love has needs I am unable to meet. And this is the short list of my hot button fears that trigger angry reactions.
I know folks who do not get angry when it is a normal response to do so. Instead of anger they feel sadness. Sadness is a much more slow and steady emotion than anger and can be dealt with piece at a time. Sadness also draws us inward where our response is invisible to all but those who know us well. God is inclined to react with sadness rather than anger when we go off to do things our own way. God is probably less likely to be moved by things that anger us. God sees a longer broader vista of life and knows that this momentary event is not as significant as we are willing to make it.
And, God loves us. Each of us. God loves us as individuals and as a group. God loves in a way that is not threatened by our actions, that doesn’t have to have lock step uniformity of thought and action. God loves us in a way that does not depend on our love in return. God loves us steadfastly, unconditionally, gently, freely.
March 10, 2014
Second Sunday in Lent
March 16, 2014
Psalm 145
1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed, and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your faithful shall bless you.
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power,
12 to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.
14 The LORD upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing.
17 The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of all who fear him; he also hears their cry, and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.
(NRSV)
One of my psychologist friends told me, “All anger is a boat floating on a sea of fear. Once you figure out what you are afraid of, you don’t have to be angry anymore.” It is a generalization and it has its exceptions, however it does give weight to verse 8, “The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” God is slow to anger because God is not afraid of us. I get angry when I am afraid that I may be wrong. I get angry when I am afraid I have lost control. I get angry when I am afraid that my opinion does not matter to someone whose opinion I value. I get angry when I am afraid that something important to me is of much less importance to someone else. I get angry when I am afraid that someone I value is being attacked and needs to be defended. I get angry when I am afraid someone I love has needs I am unable to meet. And this is the short list of my hot button fears that trigger angry reactions.
I know folks who do not get angry when it is a normal response to do so. Instead of anger they feel sadness. Sadness is a much more slow and steady emotion than anger and can be dealt with piece at a time. Sadness also draws us inward where our response is invisible to all but those who know us well. God is inclined to react with sadness rather than anger when we go off to do things our own way. God is probably less likely to be moved by things that anger us. God sees a longer broader vista of life and knows that this momentary event is not as significant as we are willing to make it.
And, God loves us. Each of us. God loves us as individuals and as a group. God loves in a way that is not threatened by our actions, that doesn’t have to have lock step uniformity of thought and action. God loves us in a way that does not depend on our love in return. God loves us steadfastly, unconditionally, gently, freely.
March 10, 2014
Monday, March 3, 2014
Psalm Meditation 716
First Sunday in Lent
March 9, 2014
Psalm 56
1 Be gracious to me, O God, for people trample on me; all day long foes oppress me;
2 my enemies trample on me all day long, for many fight against me.
O Most High,
3 when I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I am not afraid; what can flesh do to me?
5 All day long they seek to injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They stir up strife, they lurk, they watch my steps. As they hoped to have my life,
7 so repay them for their crime; in wrath cast down the peoples, O God!
8 You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your record?
9 Then my enemies will retreat in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I am not afraid. What can a mere mortal do to me?
12 My vows to you I must perform, O God; I will render thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered my soul from death, and my feet from falling, so that I may walk before God in the light of life.
(NRSV)
After a long, draining day it is good to have a place to be coddled and cared for, a place of refuge and renewal. Some of us are lucky enough to find that in a person to whom we go home on a regular basis. For others of us, we have a trusted friend to whom we can bare our hearts and share our hurts and hopes. For any and all of us, God is available to give us comfort in the face of all that makes us feel, helpless, hopeless and worthless.
Whether our enemies are the flesh and blood kind who can do physical damage to us, or the psychic, spiritual kind who can do just as much damage without leaving a mark, God is present to offer us a reprieve from the wounds. That God is present doesn’t mean that we will suddenly be free from our wounds. It is up to us to receive the comfort and healing God offers to us. God is not one to use force, to thrust power or presence upon us. God waits for us to open ourselves to receive as we are ready and able.
The presence of God does not take away our wounds so much as offer us comfort in the face of our woundedness. As a parent who kisses a skinned knee or holds a child against that first heartbreak, God is with us in all the calamitous places of our lives to offer us companionship in the face of each and all of our wounds. In the presence of God we are delivered from facing the trampling and lurking of our enemies on our own.
March 3, 2014
First Sunday in Lent
March 9, 2014
Psalm 56
1 Be gracious to me, O God, for people trample on me; all day long foes oppress me;
2 my enemies trample on me all day long, for many fight against me.
O Most High,
3 when I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I am not afraid; what can flesh do to me?
5 All day long they seek to injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They stir up strife, they lurk, they watch my steps. As they hoped to have my life,
7 so repay them for their crime; in wrath cast down the peoples, O God!
8 You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your record?
9 Then my enemies will retreat in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I am not afraid. What can a mere mortal do to me?
12 My vows to you I must perform, O God; I will render thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered my soul from death, and my feet from falling, so that I may walk before God in the light of life.
(NRSV)
After a long, draining day it is good to have a place to be coddled and cared for, a place of refuge and renewal. Some of us are lucky enough to find that in a person to whom we go home on a regular basis. For others of us, we have a trusted friend to whom we can bare our hearts and share our hurts and hopes. For any and all of us, God is available to give us comfort in the face of all that makes us feel, helpless, hopeless and worthless.
Whether our enemies are the flesh and blood kind who can do physical damage to us, or the psychic, spiritual kind who can do just as much damage without leaving a mark, God is present to offer us a reprieve from the wounds. That God is present doesn’t mean that we will suddenly be free from our wounds. It is up to us to receive the comfort and healing God offers to us. God is not one to use force, to thrust power or presence upon us. God waits for us to open ourselves to receive as we are ready and able.
The presence of God does not take away our wounds so much as offer us comfort in the face of our woundedness. As a parent who kisses a skinned knee or holds a child against that first heartbreak, God is with us in all the calamitous places of our lives to offer us companionship in the face of each and all of our wounds. In the presence of God we are delivered from facing the trampling and lurking of our enemies on our own.
March 3, 2014
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