“Oh, what a fall!”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Monday, June 17, 2024
Psalm 80 (Forward, p. 50) CEV p. 604
Today’s psalm surely should come as something of a wake-up call. Its author is Asaph, a leader of the music ministry team at the Temple in Jerusalem. And yet, its theme and subject matter is not that Temple, nor the territory of Judah where it resides. No, his focus is on the now defeated and despoiled northern territories of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. In spite of the rivalry and hard feelings that had long existed between his state and them, he is solely concerned—and upset—over their fate. And even more, over their fall from what they had once been.
Here he uses an image that is rather dear to me. I have never been successful at raising a tree from start—though we have a number of maples and pine sprouts that want to do this very thing. Instead, we have chosen to transplant trees and bushes raised elsewhere—as a kind of instant forest—and have been very pleased with the outcome.
Our psalmist describes the northern kingdoms as being this very thing, namely a transplanted grapevine, favoured and tenderly cared for by none other than Almighty God. It was absolutely majesty and beautiful and prospered greatly. And yet God allowed it to be pillaged and torn apart, rendered defenseless and at the mercy of ‘man and beast.’
And yet, even in describing this utter desolation, the psalmist barely mentions why this might have come about. He mentions God’s anger but never fills in the blanks as to why this might be. Twice he prays “make us strong again’ (verses 3 & 19)—here he sounds like some in our neighbour to the south—but never suggests why they might have become weak in the first place. However, elsewhere in the Scriptures, they are not quite so reticent to ‘name names’, to parcel out the blame where it belongs. There we are told that it is because of Israel’s sin, period, exclamation mark. And so, in like manner, when we today lament our present state of affairs, the unhappy state of our nation and other nations, it would do us well to ask whether it is not because of our sin as well.
Even so, as far as the psalmist is concerned, the situation is not without hope, not without possible redemption. He implores God to ‘listen to our
prayer and let your light shine’, or to ‘save us by your power.’ Indeed, three times he uses a most evocative image, that of God smiling upon us (verses 3, 7, 19), showering us with His love and favour. Then, he says, we will be saved, no longer turn away from God, and have new life. And so, in our present dismay at times over ‘how things have become’, this hope and promise is well-worth holding on to. Even with ‘such a fall’, there is hope. Thanks be to God.
Forward notes: “You have fed them with the bread of tears; and given them bowls of tears to drink” (verse 5).
“We call ourselves the Spiritual Journeys Group because we have travelled together through book upon book by renowned spiritual writers.
“Through the years, group members have become soul friends. In our intimate space, we share our sacred stories, pour ourselves out, cry and rejoice. My soul has been indelibly etched with the group’s wisdom. In five years, we have lost five members to death. Underlines in books address but never really prepare us for the tangible sorrow and pain of loss. God has given us tears to drink in full measure. Together, we learned that death and sorrow have much to teach about life. The more we accept our impermanence, the more we can embrace our remaining life. In the last season of my life, death isn’t lurking over my shoulder. Rather, God has blessed me to be given over to mystery, grace, playfulness, forgiving of myself and others, and cherishing those I love.”
MOVING FORWARD: “Are you fearful of death or do you accept your impermanence? How, then, shall you live your life?”