Rev. Molly F. James, PhD
Chapel of our Lord, Episcopal Church Center
Feast of George Herbert, February 27, 2020
May God’s Word be spoken. May God’s Word be heard. May that point us to the Living Word, who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.”
Well, I don’t know about you, but I am very grateful that the 23rd Psalm is in our lectionary for today. We have news headlines warning us of a global pandemic. Violence seems to be ever present in our news headlines. There is acrimony and bitter division among our political leaders. War, famine, natural disasters, disease, poverty, racism, sexism . . . there is no shortage of things that could discourage us. If we are not careful, the realities of evil and suffering in the world could overwhelm us.
And so I am grateful for this psalm, grateful for its comfort, its familiarity. Grateful for the image throughout our Scriptures of Jesus as a shepherd who cares for us. I also want to push back on it. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” But I do want. I want a world where our newspapers are not filled with headlines on death and destruction. I want a world in which my children do not have to know what it means to do a lockdown drill or prepare for an active shooter scenario. I want a world where our lives are not governed by fear or uncertainty. I want our children to grow up in a world that feels safe and full of possibility.
And so I keep reading. “He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters. He revives my soul and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.”
It may seem counter-intuitive, but we need this. Our souls need refreshing. In the midst of stress - whether it be the anxiety and uncertainty of a national tragedy or the stress and strain of our own daily lives, we need to take time to care for ourselves. We need a break. We need to breathe. We need to remember to trust that God is with us, guiding us, supporting us. If we don’t care for ourselves and keep ourselves grounded in our faith, we won’t be of any use to those who need us. Just like the airplane safety announcement, we need to put our own oxygen masks on before we can help others.
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Collectively we are in the valley of the shadow of death. We know the realities of tragedy and death all too well. On a global and national scale, and in our own families and communities. We are intimately acquainted with the dark recesses of that valley. We know its pain and suffering all too well. And yet there is comfort to be found. We do not walk alone. No matter how dark it may seem, no matter how lonely we feel, we are not alone. Jesus is right there walking with us. Jesus knows our grief, knows our pain. He does not abandon us in the midst of our suffering.
And I think it is worth noting the matter of factness of the Psalmist in this verse. Note that he does not say sometimes or occasionally or rarely. He just says, “I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” It is a reality. We are not promised a life free from heartache or loss. We are not promised an easy path.
“You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me;”
There will be people and things in life who “trouble” us. But what we are promised is that God is steadfast. God, the God who came to earth as a human being in Jesus of Nazareth, the one who intimately knows the joys and tribulations of being human, is with us. ALWAYS. And God is shining light in the darkness. There is always goodness in the midst of tragedy.
“You have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over.”
There is hope.
In the wake of violence and tragedy, lots of people quote Mr. Rogers, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” That is where we can find goodness and hope. As scary and upsetting as our daily news coverage is, it is also powerful to see how many people’s first instinct is to help. Think of 9/11 or Sandy Hook or the Boston Marathon bombings. Police, medical teams, first responders, people nearby hurried to help. Others hurried to donate blood or worked to keep others safe. The quick thinking and brave actions of so many have no doubt saved many lives over the years. The goodness is there. In fact, it is stronger than the forces of evil.
“Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
That is what we believe. Goodness and mercy are everywhere. God’s love is stronger than anything in this world. Even death. There is nothing on this earth that can separate us from the love of God.
We are not alone in the midst of tragedy - whether global, national or personal. We have cause to hope. Because God is with us. Because the light is shining in the darkness. And even more so because we can make that light brighter with our own actions of love and bravery. Our cup runneth over. The world needs our love. Let us go forth and share from our bounty.
AMEN.
