Help me, Lord, for there is no godly one left;
the faithful have vanished from among us.
Everyone speaks falsely with his neighbor;
with a smooth tongue they speak from a double heart.
Oh, that the Lord would cut off all smooth tongues,
and close the lips that utter proud boasts!
Those who say, "With our tongue will we prevail;
our lips are our own; who is lord over us?"
"Because the needy are oppressed,and the poor cry out in misery, "
I will rise up," says the Lord, "and give them the help they long for."
- Psalm 12:1-5
The storming of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. on January 6 by members of the far right was not something I thought I would ever see in our country. We have become a nation torn apart by our ideological differences. Confounded by the events of last week, Psalm 12 is like a soothing balm to my thoughts and feelings. Where are the faithful believers in our democratic process? Where are the true patriots? They are still here, alive and well.
Many leaders voiced their condemnation of the events of January 6th and many prominent Americans in the tech, banking and legal worlds joined them. Americans have a choice - to elect leaders that “speak falsely with a “double heart”, thinking only of their own political ambitions or leaders that place the needs of others, especially the poor and the oppressed, ahead of their own. By prioritizing the concerns of the people, our leaders in government can rise up to help us once again be “one Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”.
Musical Reflection - Why do the Nations Rage so Furiously - Handel
“O Lord, watch over us and save us from this generation for ever.” Amen. - Psalm 12:7
