Got Some Troubles?
“Why should I fear in times of trouble…
God will ransom my soul and receive me.”
--Psalm 49 selected phrases
Trouble. The word looms large in today’s world--from individual troubles to global troubles. Trouble. It may even be a big word for your inner being today. Can you receive the question and faith-filled response from the Psalm writer?
In this increasingly apocalyptic world, it is reassuring to know that fear does not need to dominate our lives. There are witnesses who have pointed people toward a way of living faithfully “in times of trouble.” The Desert Fathers fled to an unpopulated area. A Roman aristocrat, Arsenius, heard these words from the sage counselor he consulted, “Flee from the world, be silent and pray always.”
The temptation these days is to go mad with those who are mad, to yell with those who yell, to dictate to one another where to go, what to do, and how to behave. “If you can’t beat the world, join it” seems to be a valid approach when everything is crashing.
Try solitude, friends. Take some time to be alone and just meditate, listen to silence. In fact, don’t take time with the chaplain’s devotions or with Sacred Scripture (obviously I do believe both are important)! Take time to listen to the silence and you too will discover the words of the Psalm are true and trustworthy, “Why should I fear…God will ransom my soul and receive me.”
Have a good, good day!
Ben Keckler
02.21.08
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