Psalm 131

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.

¹ Lord, my heart is not proud;
    my eyes are not haughty.
I don’t concern myself with matters too great
    or too awesome for me to grasp.
² Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself,
    like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk.
    Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

³ O Israel, put your hope in the Lord—
    now and always.

Psalm 131

Dear God, I really liked all of the readings from the Catholic church today, and it is weird that the psalm would stick out to me the most to me, but here we are. I liked it. I liked it because I don’t feel like I’ve reached it yet, but it feels like something I would love to reach. A couple of days ago, I prayed about the “now and the not yet.” That’s what this feels like.

To not be proud and haughty. That would be great, and I can get there sometimes, but pride and haughtiness still linger. I think what I really liked was the humility of the second part of verse 1: I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. I think all American Christians could stand to sink into this concept and just accept their smallness in the little lives most all of us live.

The suffering in Ukraine is great, and I don’t know what to do about it. The suffering in Palestine and Israel and Sudan and in Central America and all sorts of other places is great, and I don’t know what to do about it. I can pray, but I don’t pray enough for them. I can send donations which I did for a Ukrainian relief effort last week. But, honestly, these matters are too great or too awesome for me to grasp.

I was listening to a podcast on “Christian Nationalism” this morning. Defining it. Trying to understand the theological underpinnings for it among those who believe in it. And trying to verbalize what exactly it is they believe. I would say, at the end of the day, what separates my life, faith, and living out my faith from someone who would describe themselves as a Christian Nationalist is that I don’t feel the need to get political power to force others to live under my belief system. That’s not what I saw you do through Jesus. What I want to do is love those around me and convince them to walk through the narrow gate and follow you, understanding Jesus called it the narrow gate for a reason. And he said few would walk through it for a reason. It might be a fool’s errand to try to get a society to walk through the gate. In fact, the only way to do it might be to compel them, and that simply isn’t how your kingdom and worship of you works.

Father, I want this to be true of my life: I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. I am about to go to a symposium that will talk about community needs and what we need to do to help those who are struggling. In this limited way, this idea is not too awesome for me to grasp. Help me to be able to say and live this: ² Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me. I want to calm myself before you. I want to be your peace for others. And I want to be completely still before you so that your Holy Spirit might reach out to me and through me so that your kingdom will come and your will shall be done on earth as it is in your heaven and the new earth.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen