Psalm 70
If you clicked the link above you would notice that this Psalm is a prayer for deliverance from enemies. And perhaps today, January 20th 2017 this might mean something extra to some of you, and I would like to argue that it shouldn't. David wrote this with an understanding of the world that included an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, if someone does something to you then you do a proportional response in return. Unfortunately there are times throughout David's reign where the proportions were blown out of proportion, and more importantly for us, we do not live in the same time or under the same understanding, or at the very least we shouldn't be.
"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." Ghandi
In this space I would like to quote large sections of Matthew 5, the first part of a sermon that Jesus gives that includes, among other amazing thoughts, the idea that fixing a problem between you and a brother or sister is more important than worshipping God, that if someone does harm to you you should repay them in offering more of yourself and your stuff to them, and that we are to love our enemies, do good to them, pray for them. The logical conclusion of all of that is to turn our enemies into our loved ones. And so we stand here on inauguration day with an impetus to turn our enemies into those that we love, so put aside any anger you may have, to our about to be sitting president or our about to be former president, to those who voted for them or against them. Pray for President Obama and President Trump. Do good to those who voted as you voted and do good to those who voted the opposite way. And above all remember that we live on the other side of Jesus's words, not on David's side.
+ How have you been acting toward those who disagree with your politics?
+ How can you move forward with grace and love towards all people?
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