Remember to Rejoice

Psalm 126

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”

The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.

Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb.

It is easy to become depressed, dis-spirited, these days. The news is grim, freezing rain falls and winter clings with an icy grip. The future looks bleak. We are right to worry, these are difficult days, socially, politically, economically, and climatically. Anyone who says otherwise is clearly not paying attention.

Being clear-eyed and seeing the world for what it is, is an important part of our faith. Jesus was nothing if not a realist. He saw the pain, oppression, injustice, and suffering all around him and he neither ignored nor downplayed it. Nor did he accept it.

Instead, he set himself against it by healing the sick, comforting the grieving, giving sight to the blind and freedom to those being held captive. He brought good news to everyone, but especially the poor, the oppressed, and those who were shunned and shut out. The good news was (and is), “Rejoice, God is near and you will soon be healed/comforted/freed/redeemed.”

In the midst of it all, God has done great things for us!!

Thanks be to God.

David