Words Passed Down

AM Psalm 16, 17 • PM Psalm 22
Jer. 38:14-28 • 1 Cor. 15:1-11 • Matt. 11:1-6

Psalm 22 opens with the verse, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” a phrase familiar to us as Jesus’ words from the cross in the Gospel of Mark. Once I heard someone say that the Psalms (ancient Hebrew songs) carry weight for us as Christians because they are the songs that Jesus himself knew and prayed. This transformed the Psalms for me from something I fumbled through between the readings in church, to a tangible and direct connection to Jesus and the people of his time.

Similarly, I have always enjoyed learning what authors of the past liked to read in their day. What stories, poems, and prayers held weight in their lives or a special place on their bookshelf? Ernest Hemingway thought every writer should read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Harper Lee wanted to be the “Jane Austen of the South.” Knowing what words they loved helps me to understand them as real humans with preferences and passion and situates them in history.

Jesus’ choice of this phrase in his moment of agony reminds me how much the right words, already written by someone else, can be of comfort in moments of distress. I know that my annual reread of To Kill a Mockingbird is not as meaningful as the Crucifixion. But I want to acknowledge the unburdening of spirit that comes when we rest in the words of another. To Kill a Mockingbird shapes my summers, the Psalms shaped the life of Jesus. And so even if our lives differ in every other way imaginable, I love that we share this.

Written by Emma Mitchell

When not serving the youth and families at St. Paul’s as the Youth Director, I can usually be found curled up with a book, attempting a craft project, or hanging out with Dave and our small menagerie of animals.