Sitting in the Shadow

I debated long and hard about whether I should join the thousands of blog posts and emails assailing us from all sides regarding the coronavirus.  I will not deliver any edicts, or words of advice on cleaning or washing of hands. I have no news with respect to the virus and its epidemiological character, or the modeling of its transmission dynamics (fancy words for studying how the virus spreads).  But I do have words of hope, words that I pray will bring you a measure of peace and calm.

I know my perspective is different than some.  My world view is always through the lens of my faith, and the centrality of Jesus in my world.  Set against that paradigm, a virus is concerning, but it is nothing to fear.  My feet are on the solid ground of knowing that although my life may be inconvenienced, I have no need of hoarding or worrying about food, paper supplies or the stock market because God provides it all. I am pierced with the gravity of those who get ill— with the tragedy of deaths from a seemingly random virus that appeared from nowhere.  Yet, my God is ever in control, and in His wisdom and mercy, there is a plan afoot I cannot know, I cannot see.  Simply because I cannot see the sun shining in my back yard doesn’t mean the sun has disappeared from our world.  My lack of understanding doesn’t mean God’s world is out of control. God is stronger than a virus; more merciful than death, more loving that we can grasp. And a coronavirus doesn’t change that.

So what do we do? What words or advice do I offer at such a time as this? Not new words, or new thoughts, but wisdom and comfort borrowed from a timeless writing: the Psalms. There is nothing the Psalms do not address in our broken, frantic, anxious world. Heartbreak, betrayal, murder, war, sickness, and adultery are the sad refrain of all ages, not just ours. And so others have penned words of comfort when there seemed to be no hope, no refuge, nowhere to turn. And the perfect Psalm for such a time as this is Psalm 91. Well loved by Jews and Christians alike, it is also known as the Soldier’s Psalm because of its verses that speak of protection from danger - arrows, lions, serpents and yes - pestilence.  It offers words of comfort and assurance for those who choose to sit under the shadow of the Almighty; under the wings of His protection.

I will quote a few of the verses of Psalm 91 here so you can get a glimpse of the powerful comfort and peace that sitting in God’s shadow can bring. I hope it causes you to go find the whole psalm yourself in your own Bible; or look it up online. Check out the different translations; the one I’ve quoted here is my personal favorite, the NASB version. Or you may prefer a more modern translation, such as CEV or The Message. And then make this psalm your mantra for the days ahead, and come to see just how much God will not only protect you in the coming days, but He will surely give you the peace that passes all understanding.  

Psalm 91, selected verses; NASB translation:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
For you have made the Lord your refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent
“I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation.”

Be well, be safe, and be of good cheer.  As St. Julian of Norwich once said, “All is well, and all is well, and all will be well.”