"Do not destroy" - Reflecting on Psalm 57

It's raining today, and rain changes the mood even on the best of days, but when you are stuck in on week 6 of lockdown there is something about the rain that reflects the mood of the nation, of the world. It feels like this week the grief is really setting in, and the news doesn't seem to get any better. There are glimmers of hope. There are moments of joy, but they are interspersed with moments of sadness and bad news. We are getting to the point now where most people know someone personally who has been kicked in the guts as they have lost someone they love or life as they know it has been completely torn apart or the brokenness has just got too much. 

The rain today is crying for a very broken and sick world. 

In the Bible there are many stories of people who are at this place - where they have suffered great loss, who have had to abandon everything they have always valued, or they have had everything ripped apart and the poetry books in particular are full of the agonising sadness and frustration at life. One verse shared on facebook in the last couple of days was from Psalm 57. Psalm 57 is to the tune of "Do not destroy" which seems kind of appropriate for this time and it was written for the time when David had to run from Saul who wanted to kill him and hide in a cave. When we are threatened from the outside, sometimes all we can do is hide, and today, we're hiding the best we can. It doesn't mean that the threat is going to go away, and there are still people out there who are facing it head on, hiding when their role allows, fighting it for us, all the time, just like, I guess people were fighting David's corner, but it means we will stay safe for a while. And as we hide, we have time to reflect and deal with all the emotions inside. We have time to shout and cry and laugh inappropriately. And that is what this Psalm is all about - a Psalm from a cave. Do not destroy. 

Here is the coronavirus version. 

Have mercy on us, oh God, have mercy on us
for in you we take refuge, as we shut our doors and look out of the window at the crying skies. 
We will take refuge under the shadow of your wings, we will sit in loneliness and grief and mourning, in the safety of your arms until this disaster has passed. 

We cry out to you oh God, we know you will save us, you give us hope. 
You send songs from heaven, moments of joy, moments of peace and they lift us from the pit,
You rebuke the unseen enemy that threatens to destroy
And you send forth your love and your faithfulness, your promises stand firm. 

We are in the midst of an uncertain threat. We are forced to dwell in a land that poses insurmountable risks. A virus that sits on door handles and shopping, which knows no boundaries, but hits the hurting hardest. 

Be lifted up, O God, high above all this, may your glory be seen across this earth. 

Every time we cross our doorstep, we recognise the risk we face ahead. 
We step cautiously in our fear. We wear makeshift masks and wash our sore hands again. 
There may be a threat beyond these walls, but it will not defeat us, it will be destroyed. 

Our hearts, O God, are focussed on you. We will fill our time with good things. We will listen to songs we love and make music ourselves. 
Awake us to new things - new notes - new melodies - awaken our voices and teach us your song, your song will awaken the dawn. 

We will praise you, Lord, despite being apart, we will praise you alongside all nations, so far scattered.

We will sing your songs above the chaos around - for your great love reaches as far as we can see. Your faithfulness reaches beyond where we can imagine. 

Be lifted up, O God, be lifted up. Let us see your light in the darkness, your glory within the days ahead.