“Knowing what we are asking for”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Psalm 72 (Forward, p. 3) CEV p. 597

Canadians in particular should be especially aware of this psalm, and especially sensitive and appreciative of its meaning, especially with reference to verse 8. This is because the Latin version of that verse, ‘A Mari Usque ad Mare’, was chosen as the motto for the newly established Dominion of Canada. In English (King James’ Version), that verse reads as follows: “He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” According to some sources, it was probably chosen during the time the CPR was expanding across Canada in order to reflect the nation building of that period.

Interestingly, as far as we know, it was first suggested by George Monro Grant (1835-1902), secretary to Sandford Fleming, railway engineer and surveyor and architect of standard time. What is all the more notable about Grant is that he was a prominent Presbyterian minister.

That means that he would undoubtedly have known something of the psalm’s message and overall context. It is described as a work of King Solomon and most surely is the description of the ideal king and kingship. Indeed, no monarch, Solomon’s included, could ever be expected to live up to its exalted expectations. I cannot help but wonder about just how our elected representatives in Canada see themselves, or rate themselves, in light of what it demanded or expected of its ruler:

-to be honest and fair with all God’s people, especially the poor;

-to let peace and justice rule over the entire land;

-to defend the poor, rescue the homeless (when they cry out, added later) and crush anyone who oppresses them;

-to help everyone who is poor and in need;

-to have pity on the weak and the helpless and protect those in need;

-to care for hurting people and save them from cruel & violent deaths;

-to make other nations prosper and learn to praise him. (And, of course, in the midst of this, there are the widely expansionist and imperialistic notes, about his territory for instance, or about other nations accepting his rule or paying him tribute or taxes.) Even so, ignoring or discounting this for a moment, it is quite evident that the expectation here is that those in authority will take their jobs seriously and care for us as God does—in essence, as people ruling after ‘God’s own heart’.

However, in terms of the ‘performance’ of our present-day rulers, surely few of them measure up to the standard suggested here. Indeed, sometimes I even wonder whether they try. So, my question in this is: “Did George Monro Grant see this psalm as a model or template for earthly leaders, especially those in his home country of Canada? Did he see this as something they should try to imitate? If so, I think that we have largely fallen short. However, I don’t think that this should be an excuse not to try, not to try to model ourselves after it.

However, as ‘delicious’ and intriguing this ‘take’ on Grant’s intentions might be, there is another consideration, one that well might have been in Grant’s mind at the time. Even though this psalm is never mentioned in the New Testament as being Messianic in intent, several early Jewish writers certainly saw it this way, as did numerous Christians—hence the well-known hymns, “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed’ and ‘Jesus Shall Reign’. So, it seems incredible not to think that Grant also saw it this way, namely that our Lord should have dominion from sea to sea, dominion over this vast and incredible land.

So then, if these suppositions be true, we present day Canadians are in a double bind. Our founders pictured Canada as being God’s dominion, Christ’s dominion, and saw our leaders, those in authority over our nation and its several parts, as having a God-given calling, a God-given responsibility to rule after God’s own heart. So, what this does is to bring me up short, even in terms of our own personal lives and responsibilities: in other words, do we really let God have dominion over everything, over our nation, our churches, our communities, and our own lives? And do we try to imitate His wise and loving rule in our daily interactions with the others around us? I would suggest that, just as our leaders ‘have some work to do’ in this regard, so too do all of us. Truly, then, this is something well worth asking for, and working towards. Amen.

Forward notes: “He shall defend the needy among the people; he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor” (verse 4).

“On February 1, 1960, four college students sat at the Woolworth’s dining counter in my hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina, and refused to leave until served. By February 5, more than 300 students were participating in the Sit-in. By March, the movement spread across the country, and by July, Woolworth’s dining counters were integrated.

“The Sit-in is one of the key moments of the Civil Rights Movement, and our community has been shaped by the struggle. Before that Woolworth closed, my friends and I ate at the counter. I took my children to the Smithsonian Museum to see it and to talk about the importance of living out our Baptismal Covenant to respect the dignity of every human being and to strive for justice.

“The street has since been renamed ‘February One Place.’ As we begin this month of meditations, I am reminded of the courage of those students at the Woolworth’s counter and of our baptismal promise to do what we pray for in this psalm.”

Moving Forward: “What issues need your voice and action?