The Renewal and Withering of American Experience
Psalms 87, 90 • Psalm 136
Num. 13:31–14:25 • Rom. 3-20 • Matt. 19:1-12
What better time than now to consider our bodily and soul sickness in Psalm 90, the only one attributed to Moses. “Our days are like grass that is renewed in the morning . . . in the evening it fades and withers” (90:55-56). Society is heavy-hearted and mournful; our lives are “brief and fragile”; according to Psalm 90, all suffering is a direct result of “God’s wrath.”
Writing now, I tremble at the conflagration of disasters. On 6 June, we carried the pain of more than eight million global cases caused by COVID-19 and more than 500,000 deaths. More will come. In America we have endured many long days of demonstrations in all major cities. A revolution of mostly youth has been carried out across the nation, which was triggered by the 8 ½ minutes without breath that four Minneapolis policemen inflicted on black man George Floyd and was sustained by revolt against systemic police racism. Along with the psalmist, we also cry out, “Turn, O Lord! How long?”
But in 21st century America, public mention of God has been faintly heard. Yet, I can’t stop thinking that if our country was made up of true adherents of any of world’s great religions, there would have been no need to resist injustice because it would not exist. Martin Luther King, Jr. died trying to teach us that. I wonder if the world is too simple or too complicated to find that message compelling.
There was evidence of a very narrow interpretation of God’s omnipotence when an interviewer asked young people—tightly assembled, mask-free, on beaches in California and Florida—a question roughly like “Why are you throwing caution to the wind in light of this contagion?” I was taken aback by the frequent response of “If my time is up; it’s up. I’m not worried.” How I wished I could have asked them if they would walk across the rush-hour traffic of the Santa Monica Freeway to test that theory! I think the analogy apt.
Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 statistics will be exasperated after the marches these many days, as well as by the Memorial Day weekenders willing to test the calling out of their “number.”
Perhaps, the Holy Spirit pervaded the spaces in which some policemen reacted by relating and sympathizing with protestors and those working to humanize those hired to support and protect. A breeze of reconciliation was evident here and there wafting through the anger. “So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart” (90:12). May the metaphoric “grass” of morning’s progress earned at such costs not fruitlessly “wither in the evening” (Ps. 90:5-6).
Thanks be to God.
Written by Pamela Mellott
We miss our St. Paul family, our rector, priests, and so many loving parishioners, and we pray for everyone’s well-being.