By the Way: Look to the Psalms

By REV. JEFF LACKIE on January 22, 2022.

The Psalms are where God’s people have gone for generations to find a word that suits our collective mood.

Frustration. Anxiety. Fear. Loneliness. Anger. Grief. These feelings cloud the edges of every conversation these days. And the Psalms reflect those feelings back to us in a way that might just helps us through.

For those who honour Scripture as something Holy and wonderful, the Psalms do sometimes pose a problem. The poets give vent to feelings in ways that don’t seem reverent. There are bold statements of despair (Psalm 77 7-8), arguments that pit people against one another (Psalm 139:21-22), and cries for help that seem to go unanswered (Ps 60:9-10). There are wonderful, celebratory Psalms too, don’t get me wrong, but it is among these 150 ancient Hebrew poems that I find my spiritual allies when things are difficult, when answers aren’t coming fast enough, when I feel defeated.

Because those whose thoughts and prayers are captured in these poems trusted God in spite of things; in spite of their reality where God seemed absent; in spite of the triumph of the wicked, and the oppression of those who ‘kept the faith.’ The Psalmists – each and every one – help me to say ‘thanks be to God’ when that seems like the least sensible thing to say. The Psalmists help me hope in God’s strength when my strength is spent. The Psalmists acknowledge the mystery and majesty of God.

Their attempts to put into words the things that defy description are both blessing and inspiration to me. They let me know that what I write need not reflect perfectly formed Theology. They assure me that raw human emotion is an acceptable offering as either prayer or praise. The Psalms assure me, over and over again, that we are not alone in our struggles, whatever those struggles may be.

I commend the Psalms to you for times such as these. Psalm 66 – Psalm 77 – Psalm 139 – and of course, good old Psalm 23. Pick your favourite translation, settle in to a comfortable chair, and be blessed by these ancient articulations of humanity.

Rev. Jeff Lackie is Minister of Word and Sacrament at St. John’s Presbyterian Church