March 30/Fifth Monday of Lent
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long. ~ Ps 23
If ever we needed the God of the beloved 23rd Psalm, now is that time. The way ahead is murky; the path forward looks to be taking us into the darkest valley (or in the serendipitous mis-translation of the King James Bible, “the valley of the shadow of death”). We need a comforter who will lead us to still waters, a redeemer who will restore our worried and anxious souls. We need a shepherd wielding that protecting staff, that defending rod, to shelter us from the forces of destruction. And especially, perhaps, in these troubled days of loneliness and isolation, when we cannot convene those we love around a shared table, when we cannot safely hug anyone outside of our immediate household (and for some, that means no one at all), we need a God who will embrace us with the warmth of his hospitality, who will fill our spiritual cups with his generous self-giving and surround us with his endless love. Our job right now is to surrender ourselves — intentionally, not passively — to his guidance, and to let him take charge. Throughout the psalm, the LORD is active, authoritative agent of good: in every verse, he bustles about, leading, restoring, comforting, preparing the table, anointing, making each of us the direct object of his care. The primary task of the psalmist (and by extension, all of us) is to trust, to let God be God. Whether we repose in green pastures, walk through the dark valley, or sit expectantly at that carefully laid table, wherever life takes us — and right now, that is anyone’s guess — we can receive the good and the bad in the knowledge that the LORD is, indeed, our Shepherd.
Eternal God, Embrace and shelter all who seek your loving care. Amen.
To hear the Choir of Wells Cathedral sing Howard Goodall’s setting of the 23rd Psalm, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLxdb3ov-zE&list=RD5I_hAhyzhfU&index=4
To hear the Choir of the Washington National Cathedral sing Virgil Thomson’s arrangement of “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I_hAhyzhfU
For today’s readings, click here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/033020.cfm
