In the midst of all the uncertainty and even fear that we are all experiencing, we read in this Sunday’s psalm that “the Lord is my shepherd” and that “I shall not want”. The gentle, pastoral lines from Psalm 23 evoke images of a parent cradling a child in their protective arms, shielding the child with soothing, reassuring words of love and strength in the face of a situation that the vulnerable child simply cannot understand.
As we continue to face the difficulties, the restrictions and threat of the Coronavirus, and the physical, emotional and social dislocation it has caused, it is worth just sitting in quiet and peace with the beauty and simplicity of this ancient prayer of praise and thanksgiving,letting the reassuring love of God wash over us.
“You lead me beside still waters to restore my soul.”
“Even though I walk through the darkest valleys, I fear no evil.”
“You are there with me, to comfort me.”
The psalm invites us to rest easy in the loving arms of God in the face of a hostile world, confident that “goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.”
We pray in response:
