Psalm Meditation 1048
Proper 11
July 19, 2020

Psalm 87
1 On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
2 the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah
4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon; Philistia too, and Tyre, with Ethiopia—“This one was born there,” they say.
5 And of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in it”; for the Most High himself will establish it.
6 The Lord records, as he registers the peoples, “This one was born there.” Selah
7 Singers and dancers alike say, “All my springs are in you.”
(NRSV)

There are cities that people imagine as wonderful places to be born and grow up. Some people get to experience growing up in those cities for themselves. Rome, Paris, London, New York, Chicago are some of the cities that come quickly to mind for me. You have your own list of dream cities in which to be born and grow up that are wonderful and exciting places. There are people who have excellent experiences of growing up in their home town. The psalmist extols the virtues of the city of Zion, Jerusalem.

For the psalmist, the city of Zion is a great place to be born because it is the city of God. The presence and blessing of God in the city makes it an exceptional place to live. It is one of those cities that holds a place in the hearts of anyone who grew up in it. The psalmist knows that Zion is a spring that wells up in the lives of citizens in a way that nourishes their souls throughout their lives.

There are celebrated cities that give the reputation of a person born there a boost. In many cases those boosts of reputation are justified. The psalmist has a more important criteria than the place of one’s birth; the presence of God. If God is a part of one’s upbringing there is a whole different spring in one’s step and lilt to one’s voice. To be born in the presence and under the influence of God helps set folks apart in a special way.

July 13, 2020
LCM