Psalm Meditation 711
Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
February 2, 2014

Psalm 146
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.
5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God,
6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)

It is easier to depend on someone we can see, to follow someone whose path we can track with our senses, than it is to follow God. When we disagree with the direction we are going it is still easier to follow a human being. When we are following to make it easier to find fault with those in the lead it is easier to follow a person. When we are being compelled to follow by show of force it is easier to follow a person. The easy way is not always the faithful way.

The way of God leads to justice, even when it does not include fairness. The way of God leads to freedom, even when folks live it out in ways with which we disagree. The way of God leads to helping those who need help even when they don’t deserve it. The way of God leads to meeting people as brothers and sisters rather than as strangers. The way of God leads to an end of wickedness even when we are found among the wicked. The way of God leads to the reign of God.

Comforting as it is to follow the ins and outs of a group of people, it does not always lead us in a helpful, hopeful direction. Humans have a way of twisting and turning things in such a way that we follow willingly at first and by the time we realize we are headed away from our goal we are already sliding out of control. The good thing is, that God has a way of changing our direction. It is never an easy route to go from following the crowd to following God. However, it is possible. Praise the LORD.

January 27, 2014