Lenten Reflection for April 7 by Bruce Carlson

By Bruce Carlson

Psalm 31:9-16

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
my eye wastes away from grief,
my soul and body also.
For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,
and my bones waste away.

I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
a horror to my neighbours,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street flee from me.
I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
I have become like a broken vessel.
For I hear the whispering of many—
terror all around!—
as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life.

But I trust in you, O Lord;
I say, ‘You are my God.’
My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your steadfast love.

Reflection

Ah, the Psalms.

My first thought is of hymns and prayers of extraordinary beauty, joy and praise, with words that many know by heart: “The heavens declare the glory of God.” “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

So, what’s with this Psalm? Its words are full of pain and desperation written by an outcast from society with real-life failures and challenges. The writer is miserable. And there is a plea here, too: “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress.”

I found one translation that paraphrases the opening words of the text this way: “Be kind to me, God—I’m in deep, deep trouble again. I’ve cried my eyes out; I feel hollow inside.”

The source of writer’s distress? “I am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror to my neighbors, an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me.” Sure, some of our troubles come from sources out of our control, but just as often they come from inside us—the failures of being human.

I can empathize. I regret my failures as I try to be a good husband, son, sibling, uncle, friend, neighbor, and human being in general. I can be jealous, quick to anger, impatient, and petty. I can assume the worst about people, just by looking at them. I’m trying, but I do hope those who see me in the street don’t flee when they see me.

We are human with human failings and human pain.

According to the Gospel writers, Jesus, too, was in distress, scorned, betrayed, shunned at the end by his acquaintances. And he prayed at least one earlier part of this Psalm as he approached death: “Into your hand I commit my spirit.” To me, that is the message of this Psalm.

Prayer

Universal One, be kind to me, for I am in deep, deep trouble again.