Psalm-light for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, 2021

Psalm 22:25-30

 To Him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship;
all who go down to the dust fall before Him. (Psalm 22: 28)

 As many of you know, my husband and I are in St Vincent and the Grenadines and living through a volcanic eruption. When our La Soufriere volcano started to erupt quietly back in December 2020 (our seismologists call the incidents emissive eruptions), I think I was lulled into a false sense of security and thought this is OK. We can handle this. However, on April 9, 2021, the first explosive eruption happened and things changed drastically. People had been evacuated from the red and orange zones and were living in shelters. The first explosion destroyed a lot of homes and property in areas close to the volcano but everywhere on the island and even in neighbouring islands like Barbados and St Lucia, everything was covered with this fine ash – not ash like we are accustomed to if you burn wood in a fireplace or coals in a BBQ – but a fine powdery dust, that, when touched by water (we had a small amount of rain right after the explosion), formed something like concrete. In spite of wearing masks, it worked its way into our nostrils and mouths. We spent 3 days trying to clear away the concrete-like stuff and we finally gave up. We were fortunate to get professional help to make our home liveable again. In addition, the number of positive COVID cases has increased as some people in shelters, who refused to take the vaccine and even to have a test, spread it around to others. We also had one day of torrential rain resulting in floods that destroyed or damaged homes and businesses and washed out some bridges. We still give thanks that no lives have been lost. 

As I read Psalm 22, the psalm from which our selection for today is taken, I found that I could relate to the feelings of the psalmist who felt forsaken by God. There were times in the psalmist’s life when the words that have brought comfort to Christians over the ages, the assurance that God is present with us in our suffering, just didn’t cut it. I know what that feels like. When there is so much disaster and suffering going on around us, it is hard to believe that God is there. Instead, maybe this psalm invites those of us who experience suffering to remind God and ourselves of God’s faithfulness, to remind God and us of God’s involvement in the world, to plead with God, and to believe strongly that God will respond.

In today’s selected verses 25 to 30, we see the psalmist go from despair to hope as he invites all the people of Israel to join him in praising God. These verses draw us a picture of the apostles spreading the good news around the world with all people eventually turning to worship the Messiah, of the establishment of God’s kingdom as he returns as King of Kings, and of the dead - all who sleep in the earth and all who go down to the dust, being resurrected to life and submitting to him. This is our hope as well that all the ends of the earth will praise God and give him glory.

Walking in the light:
Sometimes we are so “polite” with God that even in our personal prayers, we are less than completely honest with God and ourselves as to how we are really feeling about life and the state of the world. Take some time in prayer and really “level” with God; hold back nothing. Remember that you are sharing with the One who loves you more than you can fathom, and knows you in the inner depths of your being.

 Submitted by Verbina Gonsalves