Psalms 15-17

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POST V OF LX

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The Book of Common Prayer (1979) includes a plan for reading the Book of Psalms in morning and evening installments for 30 days.  I am therefore blogging through the Psalms in 60 posts.

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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:

Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,

that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,

which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 226

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Psalm 15 is consistent with the Law of Moses, which teaches that we human beings depend on God, are responsible to God and each other, rely on each other, and have no right to exploit each other.  The text describes ethical and moral obligations in practical terms.  That is useful, for a simple statement of a timeless principle without the offering of even one culturally specific example can prove to be confusing.

The faithful can come from a variety of backgrounds.  Some of them are converts, as in the case of the author of Psalm 16.  Some of the faithful have to endure false accusations.  Consider, O reader, the author of Psalm 17, accused of idolatry.  The text does not indicate how long he has been walking with God.  We can say for certain that his accusers are among those who cast slurs on their neighbors.

Often, out of an excess of caution, motivated by the best of intentions–to refrain from judging, lest God judge us according to the standards by which we judge others–many of us in the human race choose not to state the unpleasant and the obvious.  Malicious people exist.  They do not strive to live according to the Golden Rule.  They also occupy all strata of societies.  They range from school bullies to certain government and corporate officials.  Many might even imagine themselves to be pious.  A host of them certainly put on airs of piety.

The real test, of course, is that one will know a tree by its fruit.  So, O reader, what kind of tree are you?

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

JULY 31, 2017 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, FOUNDER OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS

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