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TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2025

May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,

the tongue that makes great boasts,

those who say, “With our tongues we will prevail;

our lips are our own—who is our master?”

–– Psalm 12:3-4


We recently celebrated the faith-enriched life of my mother-in-law, a person for whom church and life blended like sweet cream and coffee. In preparation for her memorial service, Dot’s children selected scriptures to be read which spoke to both the comfort of God and the faithfulness of his beloved disciple. The first text chosen was Psalm 121 which affirms the trustworthy intent of our Creator to sustain us and care for us –– “…From where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” The recitation of the text is a healing balm in times of trial. However, in the trip from planning to bulletin, there was a typo that slipped by the proofreader (aka - me). Instead of Psalm 121, what went to print was Psalm 12:1. So, when I opened a copy of what was indeed printed, it dawned on me that unless I warned the pastor prior to the memorial service, what the gathered would hear would be a far cry from the message of Psalm 121. Rather than finding solace in the words –– “He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” –– what both family and congregation would hear would be –– “Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; the faithful have disappeared from humankind. They utter lies to each other; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.” Oops! Not exactly a word of comfort, nor a suitable characterization of my mother-in-law’s spirit and witness. Thankfully, by the grace of God, disaster was averted and Psalm 121 was honored.


So, what is to be gleaned from the pessimistic tone of Psalm 12? “On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among humankind.” That sentiment, however true, is not the message that will be Bringing In The Sheaves or make inroads with doubters, skeptics, and scoundrels. When the Psalmist invokes –– May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts –– the arrogant will naturally assume the psalmist is speaking of someone else, you know … they, them, those people. It is rare that the arrogant or self-righteous possess the self-doubt necessary for introspection or self-criticism. Alternatively, a lack of introspection makes one vulnerable to the normalization of bad behavior. 


Spite, malevolence, hostility, revenge, and dishonesty are riding a wave of approval these days, seemingly serving as rungs on the ladder of success. What we watch, what we read, how we interpret, what we support, how we deal with difference, who or what we follow, and what we believe are increasingly influenced by and infused with the opposite of what Paul called the fruit of the Spirit –– “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” If our self-worth is dependent in any way on the denigration of our neighbor, we are lost. This is a time for Christ’s church to be truly counter-cultural, heeding the wisdom of Paul, who confessed –– “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” Forget tv ratings, prevailing cultural hostilities, and the obsession with social or political capital. Let us make love our aim.

Grace and Peace,

Matt  

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