A moving society
Lily Cathcart
October 09, 2024
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Psalm 72: 8-14 (NRSVA)
8
May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
9
May his foes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust.
10
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts.
11
May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service.
12
For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper.
13
He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.
14
From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight.
Movement is important for a society. Without shifting and flowing with time a society can become stagnant and unhealthy. An unhealthy society might, for example, be one that rewards the already rich, that admires those with power or with powerful connections. An unhealthy society might be one that ignores and looks down on the struggles of those without power and money, that villainises the lost and abandons the abandoned.
What might those who first sang this psalm think of our leaders and influencers today? What does God, to whom they sang, think of our society today?
I will take a guess that God would say: ‘Let's shake it up!’
God who sent Jesus to upturn tables in the temple, God who sent shepherds to be kings, God who sent people to the ends of the earth that they knew, and beyond, to spread a message of love and radical care.
Yes I think God likes movement, movement is mission.
I wonder what movement we could start today?
Prayer:
Dear God of movement
Send us your vision for a loving world
Give us the sense of justice you gave your son
Empower us with your love for all
Show us where we can shake up the stagnant
Amen
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