Psalm Meditation 1134 ¶Second Sunday in Lent ¶March 13, 2022 ¶Psalm 6 1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger, or discipline me in your wrath. 2 Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror. 3 My soul also is struck with terror, while you, O LORD—how long? 4 Turn, O LORD, save my life; deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love. 5 For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who can give you praise? 6 I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. 7 My eyes waste away because of grief; they grow weak because of all my foes. 8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping. 9 The LORD has heard my supplication; the LORD accepts my prayer. 10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and struck with terror; they shall turn back, and in a moment be put to shame. (NRSV) ¶It has been a long two years, and the stresses have not subsided; only changed faces. We have had our fearsome encounters with Covid 19, we have dealt with differing opinions and practices on how to deal with this disease. We have angered each other as we were too cautious or too cavalier to suit each other. We have been vaccinated and boosted or refused to have anything to do with a vaccine. As we have turned a corner on the disease front, we face the prospect of a war that will do no one any good in the long run, except for any lessons we may learn for the future. ¶The psalmist has reached a breaking point. Terror of body and soul leads to a leap of faith into the arms of God, depending on the steadfastness of God’s love to be the source of deliverance from all that threatens body and soul. The belief of the system is that death is final, and keeps one from being able to remember and praise God, so there is a touch of bargaining/bribery here to convince God to grant deliverance from death and Sheol. And yet, at this breaking point the psalmist knows that God has heard and accepted this prayer for deliverance. ¶We each know or know of someone who has died of Covid. We may know or know of someone with relatives or other connection to Ukraine or Russia. I believe that God does not choose sides, especially based on politics and geography. God loves each of us and stands ready to catch us when we make that leap toward deliverance. I also believe that God will catch us whether we live or die, whether we are on the right or the wrong side of history, whether we love God or not. I believe God comforts us in our times of terror out of a steadfast and abiding love for each of us. ¶March 8, 2022 ¶LCM