Devotional Messages

DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE

Psalm 133 – How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.
It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion.  For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life forevermore. (NRSV)

Disciples really love the first verse of Psalm 133, which celebrates the unity we call our “polar star.”  “Kindred” is such a powerful word, bringing to mind family ties, but in a way that can include just about everyone.  And living together in unity is pretty much what Millenials would call #goals.

But what is going on with the rest of this psalm?  Metaphors are wonderful things, but they’re also dependent on shared cultural references.  For the most part, the references in the rest of Psalm 133 are not commonly understood in our day and age.  Given the context, we can understand that this precious oil is a beautiful, lovely thing.  But since we don’t anoint people much these days, it sort of just sounds like a mess.  Dew on the mountains is a little easier to relate to, especially in a place as dry as San Diego usually is.  But most of us aren’t likely to know that Hermon was the highest peak in the area.

The wonderful thing about a living relationship with scripture is that we don’t have to be limited by the words on the page.  God has given the gift of words to us as well.   One of the lessons of the Incarnation is that God wants the gospel to be as alive in our context as it was in first-century Palestine.  We can help make the gospel come alive by leaning into being made in the image of our Creator God and being creative ourselves.  We, too, can try to express the glory of living together in unity.

So what metaphor would you invent to describe how beautiful and holy it is when God’s people live in unity?  What is the loveliest thing you can imagine?  How would you put this vision of beloved community into words?  Write me back and share your similes or metaphors with me!