Readings for today: 2 Samuel 10, 1 Chronicles 19, Psalms 20, 53, 60, 75
“May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans! May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions! Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. O Lord, save the king! May he answer us when we call.” (Psalm 20:1-9)
These words have deeper meaning for me today. Especially as the news breaks about the young African-American man who was lynched in broad daylight in Georgia. Ahmaud Arbery was out running in a neighborhood when two armed white men in a pickup truck pursued him and shot him in cold blood. Assuming he had been part of a robbery that had taken place earlier, they believed it was their right to chase him down and execute him. Tragically, this is just the latest example of how we continue to be haunted by our racist past here in America. And it comes in the midst of a pandemic that is killing African-Americans at much higher rates. The US Census Bureau reports that African-Americans represent 13.4% of the general population but counties with higher concentrations of blacks account for more than half of all COVID cases and almost 60% of deaths. Furthermore, we’ve known for a long time that African-Americans are disproportionately targeted by our justice system. 37% of the general prison population is African-American men. 22% African-American women. Clearly, we still have a race problem in our country.
One of the things I love most about reading the Bible in a year chronologically is how it reminds us to combine our prayers with action. In our readings for today, David sends emissaries to the Ammonites to offer condolences for the death of their king. His desire is to build a friendship with the heir to the throne. His plan is thwarted, however, by the princes of the Ammonites who would rather sow suspicion and create a pretext for war with Israel. Tribal conflict, you see, is nothing new in human history. So they publicly shame David’s messengers, gather an army, and set out to destroy Israel. At first, it appears their efforts will be successful. They actually are able to surround the army of Israel. But Joab and his mighty men fight free and end up routing the enemy. In the wake of this great victory, David pens the words to Psalm 20.
I think it’s critical to note that David cried out to God. He cried out to God in the midst of his trouble. He cried out to God in the midst of his fear. He cried out to God for salvation. David knew the battle belonged to the Lord. David knew the fight would be fierce but with God he would prevail. David acknowledges his own strength is not enough. He is humble. He is heartfelt. He is sincere. At the same time, David prepares his army for battle. He arrays his forces as best he can. He devises strategies and implements his plan. The result is a great victory for God’s people.
Now apply those same principles to our situation today. Yes, our thoughts and prayers are with the Arbery family. Yes, our thoughts and prayers are with the African-American community as they continue to suffer from the scourge of white supremacy. Yes, we join our voices together to call on the Lord to answer them in these days of trouble. Protect them from evil. Send them help from His sanctuary. Fulfill their desire for salvation. Yes, we humbly acknowledge that only Christ can purge the evil of white supremacy from our midst. Only Christ can deliver us from the sin of racism. Only Christ can transform hatred into love.Yes, we cannot place our trust in “chariots and horses” or in “legislative powers” or “social reforms.” But that doesn’t mean we ignore them completely. They are simply tools in God’s hand to accomplish His will on earth. Just as David deployed chariots and horses to defeat the Ammonites so we must deploy laws and reforms to defeat white supremacy. We must tear down systems and structures that continue to create uneven playing fields and deny access to people of color. We must hold our political leaders accountable for how they use racism as a tool to retain power and influence and wealth and privilege. We must hold ourselves accountable for the things we say and the ways we think and the ways we act that unwittingly foster hostile attitudes towards those of a different color. We must be proactive in building friendships across racial lines. Actively listening to one another’s experiences and suffering with those who have suffered rather than pre-judging them. We must work towards a more just, more gracious society where no one has to be afraid to go on a jog through a neighborhood.
So I am praying Psalm 20 differently today. Not for myself. Not for my tribe. Not for my community. I am praying for God to fulfill the desire of my heart and deliver us from the sin of racism. I am praying for the day when we can celebrate and rejoice in the diversity God has created rather than perceive one another as a threat. I am praying for the day when God will deliver us from the worst of our fears and prejudices and lust for power. And I am working towards those ends as well. Listening. Serving. Voting. Advocating. Trusting the Lord to use my meager efforts for His just purposes in this world.
Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 65-67, 69-70