"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? ...Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident." We certainly live in a time when there is an abundance of fear. Along with long standing fears of terrorism and crime, we have recently added economic fears. Millions fear losing their job, losing their home, losing their retirement, losing the funds for their children's education. And yet the author of psalm 27 insists that God is to be trusted. "I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living."
I won't for a moment make light of the current crises facing this nation and the world. The economic meltdown, of course, hurts people on the margins of society the most , and these are the very people Jesus says he comes to bring good news. But still, surely God can bend this dire moment to the good. Surely there is the hope that I, and perhaps some of you, might learn renewed trust in God rather than possessions, stock portfolios, and retirement accounts.
Still, I am troubled by this notion that others suffer, that some of the neediest suffer, and out of this I might be drawn closer to God. I don't usually think of myself as beholding to the poor and the needy. And I certainly don't like to think of myself as helping to create the systems that lead to their suffering. But then again, that sounds a little bit like my relationship to the gospel itself.
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