Keeping Our Center ~ Day 76

Given the events of this week in Minnesota, I find myself vacillating between anger and deep, deep sorrow. I don’t often turn to the Psalms, but this is one of those weeks when the lamentations in the Psalms make perfect sense to me. After all, what do you do when the world as you know it seems to be on a downhill slide? What do you do when it feels like people can’t be reasonable, rational or exercise even an ounce of common sense? What do you do when violence becomes the norm and skin color continues to be the ticket to privilege or prejudice? What do you do when no one even suggests we stop for a moment to mourn the 100,000+ people in the U.S. alone who have died in this pandemic? What do we do when our hearts are breaking on so many levels? We cry out loudly in lament which seems to give voice to both my anger and sorrow.

Hear these verses from the Psalms that I’ve compiled (there were so many, many more that I could have used, so feel free to pull out your Bible and peruse on your own), and allow your heart to lament for a few moments…

Out of the depths I cry to you, Yahweh! God, hear my voice!

Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for my strength is gone.

Heal me, for I am afraid to my very bones,

and my soul is full of anguish.

O my God, I cry out by day, and you answer not;

by night, and there is no relief for me.

How long, Yahweh? Will you forget me forever?

O God, keep me safe – you are my refuge!

Put an end to the violence all around me!

The nations have invaded your domain, they have defiled your holy temple!

The violent arrogantly pursue the weak

and catch them in craftily designed schemes.

The impious boast of the desires of their hearts;

they bless Greed, yet renounce you, Yahweh.

Listen to my cry! Turn your ear to my prayer.

 

So I wait for you, Yahweh – my soul waits,

And in your word I place my trust.

My soul longs for you, Yahweh,

More than sentinels long for the dawn…

Somehow these timeless words are able to touch the heart. Perhaps it is the knowledge that people in all times and places have hurt as we do, and felt as frustrated and helpless as we sometimes do. What I’ve noticed about the Psalms is that they almost always end with a deep unwavering pronouncement of trust in the Divine.

And so we wait for Yahweh, our help and our shield.

For in you our hearts find joy…

May your love be upon us, Yahweh as we place all our hope in you.

And this is the dance of life… we despair, and yet we trust and we hope and we go on.

Love & Light,

Kaye