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11/18/2002 Entry: "Difficult Psalms"
Thinking about 'lament' (see below) reminded me of how useful the Psalms can be, and how often they are overlooked in the tradition to which I belong. But though the Psalms are amazing, they are not always easy to live with. Boney M may have sung 'By the rivers of Babylon', but I don't remember them including the final verses of that Psalm:
Remember, O LORD , what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. "Tear it down," they cried, "tear it down to its foundations!" O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us- he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks. (Ps 137: 7-9)If they had, I don't suppose the song would have ever been a Chart success.It's hard to admit that there are such verses in the Bible, but they don't go away just because we ignore them. One way of dealing with them is to say that they were written by a more primitive people than ourselves; that sophisticated modern folk have got rid of all such feelings. And yet the rage evident in these few sentences is also heard in the cries for revenge which are heard almost daily in our media.Another tack is to say that these words are divine approval for the destruction of the enemies of God's people - in effect that the enemies of his people are also the enemies of God. Tempting as that may be, particularly when you have an enemy in your sights, it is worth remembering that Jeremiah addresses the same group of exiles whose voices were raised for the battering of babies' heads:
Work for the peace and prosperity of Babylon. Pray to the Lord for that city where you are held captive (Jer. 29:7)As there is a place for lament in our worship, so also there is a legitimate place for rage. But it should never be the final word.
Replies:
I think some Americans would have said 'happy are they who bash the heads of the children of bin laden against the rock' shortly after 9-11. I am not saying its right, but the sting of 9-11 seemed to hit middle america in a place where they finally felt something, something other than the need to shop.
I wouldn't say we are better than the Isrealites in captivity... but I would say the Jesus' words about love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you are important final words.
Posted by Pen @ 11/19/2002 08:47 PM CST
A Sobering reminder - thanks for that, Richard. The psalms cover the whole gamut of emotion, not just praise, but it can be scary how much anger they also contain.
Posted by alice @ 11/19/2002 10:28 AM CST
