Psalm Meditation 549
First Sunday After Christmas
December 26, 2010

Psalm 64
1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from the dread enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the scheming of evildoers,
3 who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,
4 shooting from ambush at the blameless; they shoot suddenly and without fear.
5 They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, "Who can see us?
6 Who can search out our crimes? We have thought out a cunningly conceived plot." For the human heart and mind are deep.
7 But God will shoot his arrow at them; they will be wounded suddenly.
8 Because of their tongue he will bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake with horror.
9 Then everyone will fear; they will tell what God has brought about, and ponder what he has done.
10 Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him. Let all the upright in heart glory.
(NRSV)

I can’t shake the image of middle school students in which one group picks a few others to receive all their nasty comments. They may or may not notice how much pain they are inflicting on this ‘other.’ What they know is that it keeps them from sniping at each other quite so viciously because they have a common ‘enemy’. They seem to be immune to any barbs in return no matter whether they come from the object of their derision or from some other group. The major difference seems to be the level of support folks have from their group.

The folks who take the comments to heart are the ones searching for a sense of belonging, a group of which to be a part. They are the loners and outcasts who desperately want to be a part yet have no real points of contact with anyone. Because they have no support system they are great targets for the various weapons wielded by those by whom they are surrounded. The psalmist reminds us that God is available to each of us, with a special bias toward the outsiders.

The presence of God does not lead to an end to the bullying or to one who can instantly stand up to those who bully. The presence of God and the people of God begins to build a support system that can help deflect the slings and arrows of daily life. “For the human heart and mind are deep.” reminds us that while there is great potential for sin and evil within us there is a great reservoir of good as well. God will not keep us from being mean to each other so much as God will offer an alternative viewpoint. The steadfast love of God reminds us that we are people of infinite worth.

December 20, 2010