Day 5: Psalm 89

This past week, perhaps the most well-known theologian and biblical scholar in the world, N.T. Wright, was asked to write an article for Time Magazine about the Coronavirus.

To the shock of some, the title of the article was, “Christianity Offers No Answers About the Coronavirus. It’s Not Supposed To.” The article went on to explain the reason for the title - The Psalms.

His general theme was that Christianity is often filtered through the lens of Rationalism (think sermons) and Romanticism (think worship songs) and the Scriptures themselves offer us a third category, and that is Lament. Rationalism and Romanticism aren’t wrong, they both can be very good. Two of Jesus’ disciples modeled this. Thomas was a rationalist, demanding explanations upon seeing Jesus in resurrected form. Nathanael was a romantic, always looking for another sign from Jesus. Lament, however, is often forgotten. Lament is one of the great biblical traditions; there is even a book of the Bible called Lamentations. Lament, if you are unfamiliar with the word, is unfiltered grief. It’s grieving without explanation, but not without hope. If we get comfortable inhabiting the world of the Psalms, we have to get honest about what makes us angry. The Psalmist believes in a God that rules the world, and yet still allows suffering. Psalm 89 certainly sticks out as an example of this confusing paradox. The Psalmist starts off with declarations of God’s goodness:

I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

Psalm 89:1

But by the end of the Psalm, he seems to have lost his joy:

Remember how fleeting is my life.

For what futility you have created all humanity!

Psalm 89:47

Right now, there is probably a part of you that wants to explain or listen to a clear explanation as to why all of this is happening. The most common question I have ever asked or have been asked is, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Classes have been taught on that question for centuries and no clear conclusion can be drawn. This is why we need the Psalms. This is why we need Lament. The Psalms, like Psalm 89, give us permission to trust in God and know His love endures forever, and to be downright confused at the same time.

In times like this, it can feel impolite to pray your true feelings. The Psalms let us know that God can handle it. In one breath, you may thank God for the gift of your life and with the very next wonder why your life seems so confusing. If you read the Psalms, God invites you to come to Him with your whole self. Don’t come to Him when you have figured it out and have an answer. Don’t come to Him when you know what everything means.

Come to Him in the confusion. When you do, you are praying and living in the great tradition of the Psalms. Are you bringing your whole self to Him today?

Jared