Psalm Meditation 1299 ¶Fourth Sunday of Easter ¶May 11, 2025 ¶Psalm 6 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%206&version=NRSVUE ¶Many of us have an image of God as angry and judgmental; waiting for us to mess up so that we can be punished for our faults and failings. When bad things happen it is because we did something to deserve it. God could not possibly want to give us good things on a regular basis so when things are going too well we can’t believe that it will last beyond a few hours, a few days at most. The psalmist can’t name any sin committed, however when things start going badly it must be that God is angry for some reason that deserves punishment. ¶We like to know that creation is well ordered and well oiled and that there is a cause and effect for everything that happens. Some people will trace cause and effect all the way back to God. If something happens and there is a harmful consequence to it, it has to be God who caused it. It can’t possibly be that people have moments of thoughtlessness or anger that spills into the lives of folks who had no connection to the original action. It isn’t right, and it isn’t fair, and sometimes bad things simply happen. ¶YHWH is God of steadfast love and mercy. When we are hurt and heartbroken God is with us in the midst of the situation offering us a loving presence. Even if God is the source of our pain, God loves us and does not abandon us. Especially when we feel helpless, hopeless, and worthless God is present as a source of gracious, steadfast love and mercy. ¶May 5, 2025 ¶LCM