for people trample on me;
all day long foes oppress me;
my enemies trample on me all day long,
for many fight against me.
O Most High, when I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
People routinely claim that God is on their side. Any claim to be doing God's will is a claim on God's blessing or favor. Any religious cause presumes God's favor. Even politicians regularly claim to be guided by God, which of course claims God's favor on what they are doing.
One problem with this is that many of us are prone to think that God is for whatever we are for. If we are conservative God is conservative and and if we are liberal God is liberal. Perhaps God is one or the other, or perhaps this is simply a demonstration of the human tendency toward idolatry, to create God in our own image.
Today's psalm seems to take for granted something frequently attested in both Old and New Testament. God's favor is especially on those in trouble, on those who are persecuted and oppressed, on those who are poor and exploited. Of course rarely are politicians or those who run churches and denominations persecuted, oppressed, poor, exploited, etc. More often they are people with power, and often they will invoke God's blessing on attempts to maintain their power and influence.
I do not intend to speak for or against anything in particular here. Rather, I am simply wondering about the way that I and others go about claiming God's favor and blessing on our actions. And that reminds me of something Bono said at a presidential prayer breakfast a number of years ago. He was quoting someone - I don't know who - when he offered, "Stop asking God to bless what you're doing. Get involved in what God is doing; because it is already blessed."
Click to learn more about the Daily Lectionary.
No comments:
Post a Comment