March 24/Fourth Tuesday of Lent
There is a river whose streams gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst, it shall not be disturbed; God will help it at the break of dawn. ~ Ps 46.5-6
Whether we live in a dense urban environment or in a sparsely-populated rural area, peace is a scarce commodity in our lives, especially now. Contagious disease, environmental degradation, religious turmoil, economic instability, political upheaval (or all of the above) — the world’s tumult at times threatens to engulf us. In our personal lives, whether it is discord in relationships or within ourselves, or anxiety about the future, serenity is equally elusive. Where is that peace that passes understanding, we wonder, and how do we find it? The calm we seek lies in God, of course. In his opening assurances that God will steady us, the psalmist of Psalm 46 assembles a chain of sturdy nouns to make his point: God is our refuge, our strength, “a very present help in trouble.” We will need to grasp that anchor and seek that haven when the seas churn and boil (or, as the Hebrew conveys through a powerful verbal onomatopoeia, yehemu and yechmeru). Turmoil, disruption, chaos surround us — then suddenly, abruptly, unexpectedly: peace. “There is a river,” the psalmist declares, leaving the roar of the waves behind, “whose streams gladden the city of God.” God is present in this city, in its very heart, protecting and stabilizing it as threats loom both within and without. Calm descends upon the chaos of our lives, and no matter what may be going down in earthly cities, in the city of God the dawn comes bright and safe. Wherever God is – in the holy dwelling of the Most High, as the psalm has it, or in our hearts and minds – the river of his love brings peace to a churning, boiling world.
O God our Anchor, Be in our midst, we pray, and quiet the tumult of our world. Amen.
To hear the King’s College Choir chant Martin Luther’s “God Is Our Hope and Strength,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zks9bCgcLGw
Bonus song for readers with young children! To hear the Veggie Tales version of “I’ve Got Peace Like a River,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl08Uw4Qo1w
For today’s readings, click here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/032420.cfm
