Psalm 67[1]
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2 that your way may be known upon earth,
your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, has blessed us.
7 May God continue to bless us;
let all the ends of the earth revere him.
‘No justice, no peace’. Birmingham hosted one of the biggest anti-racism marches yesterday. Thousands of people of all races and ages turned out. Yet again, as with the climate strikes, young people are in the vanguard. And their cry has to be heard. It is a cry for equity and blessing for all, not for the privileged.
Psalm 67 shares that broadest of horizons, a vision that encompasses all people being blessed and all people living with thanksgiving.
The psalm follows a God-centric set of circles which ripple out blessing and praise around the nations. Although written to a particular worshipping community – the Judaic tradition – and places God at the centre of the life of that people, it is not a narrow vision at all. Although the presence of God shines on the people of Israel (vs1), the psalmist’s hope and prayer is that God’s reign and God’s ways may be known across the world (vs2). And joyous pulse of the psalm is one of praise. Twice we have the refrain (vs3 & 5) that all people should be able to praise God. And why should all people praise God? The answer comes in verse 4. Nations will be glad and sing for joy because God judges people with equity and guides the nations on earth.
Oh, that the nations of the earth would be guided by God’s heartbeat and yearning for equity. the right to breathe and live, the very most basic of human rights, is also at the very centre of God’s equitable reign.
‘I can’t breathe’ – the image of tens of thousands of patients on ventilators because they can’t breathe on their own is a symbol of this virus pandemic. It has taught us that while we are all vulnerable to its havoc and deathly ways in every nation, yet we are also learning that the poorest, the oldest and people of colour are most vulnerable. Inequity in this healthcare crisis is become the key concern.
‘I can’t breathe’ – and now the cry of George Floyd as life is squeezed out of him by cruel and racist police has become the cry of the millions of protesters around the globe calling for seismic change in our worldwide culture of privilege and subjection. God’s reign does not look like this.
God’s just and equitable reign does not look like white police killing a black man. God’s just and equitable reign does not look like crude tweets from a lying president. God’s just and equitable reign does not like privileged and powerful company bosses syphoning off profits to offshore accounts. God’s just and equitable reign does not look like the continued devastation of habitats and environment for greed and gain.
Yet, God’s just and equitable reign does look like the cry for justice and for peace; the coming together to be thankful for key workers; the building of community by volunteers at the grassroots; the continued care of neighbours and the offering of continual prayer worldwide.
The earth has yielded its increase (vs6) in a harvest of persistent, resilient and strong actions of unity and God will continue to bless us through these prayers of protest until all the earth – the powerful and the privileged and the weak and meek – bow the knee to God and revere God of equity and justice around the globe.
[1] New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised
Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
ReplyDeleteGod is a God who blesses us. One of the things I miss about worship in church is receiving God’s blessing, pronounced by the priest, at the end of each service. It has always been a powerful moment in worship for me, both humbling and equipping as we leave “to live and work to your praise and glory”. We now have to rely on listening to recordings of sung blessings which have their own beauty but not, for me, the same authority.
God does not, however, bless us to make us feel good or so that we can have comfortable lives but so that we can bless others and make his ways of justice and love known upon earth. His blessing is for all people and all creation so that all will fear and worship him. This psalm makes clear that God’s glory will be known throughout the earth when it is his just rule which governs the nations. And one of the gifts of God’s blessing is fruitfulness of the earth. But how can people live fruitful lives when we witness such injustice and inequality and racism?
Today I’ve been made aware of an open letter to sign (https://350.org/just-recovery/) with 5 principles for a just recovery from Covid-19, calling for “a united global response to this Covid-19 pandemic that ensures a just recovery and transition to a better future for those most in need in the wake of this crisis”. The 5 principles are:
Put people’s health first, no exceptions.
Provide economic relief directly to the people.
Help our workers and communities, not corporate executives.
Create resilience for future crises.
Build solidarity and community across borders - do not empower authoritarians.
Signing this is one very small act of blessing for those who are marginalised and vulnerable - a blessing of justice and a more equitable future for all. “Let all the peoples praise you”.