Above Earth’s Lamentation

I identified with Psalm 120:6-7 in my Psalm prayers this morning. “Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.” The vitriolic political hostility so persistently expressed by many who claim the name of Christian painfully pierces my heart. I understand having different political opinions, but I do not understand the anger, sometimes violent language, aimed at those who disagree. I understand deep concerns about character flaws, moral failure, and evasion of integrity, but I do not understand attacking and mocking people rather than addressing issues. If you are reading this and interpret it as directed at those on the right end of the political spectrum, you probably have good reason to think that. Conversely, if you are assuming I am critical of voices from the left end of the political spectrum, you probably have good reason to think that too. I expect and welcome vigorous political debate in our democratic society, including among Christians. However, I ache for unity in Christ that supersedes these differences among those who us who follow Jesus to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God as Micah 6:8 teaches us.

My point is that the lines from the Psalm articulated the alienation and exclusion I have been feeling from those with whom I have presumed to be united in Christ. I have been struggling with how to live in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, as Ephesians 4:3 instructs us. This is in the Epistle from the lectionary readings for next Sunday (August 5, 2018) and which I expanded on in this post from July 7, so I am feeling a double emphasis.  http://nstolpepilgrim.blogspot.com/2018/07/under-siege-unity-of-spirit-in-bond-of.html

Though definitely of a different nature and magnitude, I have also been wrestling in my prayers to discern a unified direction for Candy’s Dad’s future. At 91 years old with some challenges of age and health, he still lives in his own home with a good caregiver. He is mentally and emotionally capable of making his own choices, which is wonderful if sometimes challenging. David and I visited him a couple of weeks ago to help with getting the house organized. Candy and I were with him last week so his caregiver could visit her Dad in Michigan. Exploring the options and timing for his next steps is not easy. I have been feeling some internal turmoil in this uncertain time. At the same time, Candy and I are thankfully and joyfully confident in our living arrangement sharing a duplex with David’s family and accessing support resources in Milwaukee for our journey with Candy’s Alzheimer’s. I am finding this juxtaposition unsettling.

In worship yesterday with Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church, with whom we worship on Sunday mornings, we sang the Robert Lowry hymn My Life Flows On. For a long time I have loved and drawn on this hymn, especially the line in the refrain, “No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that Rock I’m clinging.” Psalm 120 prompted me to acknowledge that my inmost calm seems to be shaking lately, so I took the hymnal to the porch and actually sang the entire hymn aloud (hopefully not so loud as to torture neighbors, Candy, or David’s family). I was challenged to cling to that Rock ever more fiercely. I was challenged to keep singing above earth’s lamentation that recently has been troubling my inmost calm. I cannot announce some instant, miraculous peace or resolution. Rather, God’s calling to keep my focus on Jesus so I am not thrown off balance myself and Candy can be as stress free as possible as we embrace each day’s joy.