It took a year to read the Bible, then almost 9 months to read the Apocrypha. Now, I'm going to try to offer reflections on the Narrative Lectionary. But, I won't be posting daily--at least, for a while.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Happiness and Fear, a Reflection on Psalm 112:1-10

The question "What does God expect from us?" is addressed by this week's reading from Isaiah. The psalm chosen by the lectionary as response addresses a related question, "What is life like for people who are doing what God wants them to do?"

First, they are happy.

Then follows a list of attributes of happiness, beginning with they are rich--a little troubling because we know so many non-rich people that do try to follow God's will.

Because they trust the Lord, they don't get scared easily.

Also, they are good examples. They are gracious, merciful, and righteous. They give to the poor.

For an exercise, try reading the front page of your local paper. Watch your favorite news channel for about 5 minutes or so. Do you see happy there? Or, do you see scared? Can we in our lives connect God's will with actually changing our habits and attitudes? Do we believe that if we were more generous that we would be less afraid?

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