Thursday, Week Two of Advent by Kat Duck
Psalm 126
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, * then were we like those who dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, * and our tongue with shouts of joy.
Then they said among the nations, * "The Lord has done great things for them."
The Lord has done great things for us, * and we are glad indeed.
Restore our fortunes, O Lord, * like the watercourses of the Negev.
Those who sowed with tears * will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, * will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.
==================================================================================
Psalm 126 is one of the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134), the songs sung as the ancient pilgrims of Israel made their way to Jerusalem. These have become, for us, today, psalms used during the Advent season as we travel through these four weeks, awaiting, once more, the birth of Jesus. And one of the most surprising things about this psalm and one we can reflect on in our own time is that “the nations,” those who did not worship the God of Israel, but worshiped other gods, saw in the God of Israel a god of great and good deeds, a loving presence to the people of Israel.
In stark contrast, the news in our day has little good to say about cooperative religion and the worshipping communities of the world are often fighting about how to love and worship God. So often, this conflict brings about war, destruction and a sense of hopelessness rather than the joyous response of the people in Psalm 126.
God, as the creator humankind, loves and sustains all of us, no matter how we express our devotion to God. It is we who are the authors of conflict when it arises, and we are the ones who can quell the battle by overcoming our desire to control the way others live out their lives with God. During this Advent season, let’s sing this joyous psalm with our whole hearts, loving God and our neighbors both near and far.