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Our day to day lives are very personal. When we wake up in the morning, maybe we are thinking about the test we have to take for a class today, or the meeting at work, or visiting our neighbor in the hospital, or finding a babysitter for an evening event we need to attend, or the doctor’s appointment that afternoon, or summoning the reserve to keep looking for a job. There may be all kinds of day to day matters that occupy our thinking. I don’t think many of us wake up in the morning and have first thoughts about global warming, or gun control, or the civil war in Syria. Usually, we are thinking more personally.

In Psalm 25, the writer makes many personal references, and repeatedly uses the subject “I” and the singular “me.” Here are a few examples:

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul
. . . do not let me be put to shame
Lead me in your truth
. . . pardon my guilt
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted
Relieve the troubles of my heart, and bring me out of my distress
O guard my life, and deliver me

The is just a sampling, but you get the idea. The psalm is very personal. It is a personal lament. But then there is the last verse:

Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all its troubles.

In this last verse, the writer makes a corporate plea: A plea for the community, for the tribe, for the people as a cultural/political/religious group. The ending sentiment is an expression of the desire for the well-being of the group, the social context.

There are insights to this last word of this psalm that we want to pay attention to. We are reminded that the well-being of the community is tied up with the well-being of the individuals in the community. When the community is healthy and characterized by justice and peace, then the individuals are likely to be better off. When the community is wracked with problems, the individuals in the community often suffer as a result. Sometimes the reasons that a community is troubled may be from the outside – the community has been attacked by an outside force or is under threat or siege in some way. The individual people in the community may then experience problems related to that outside disturbance. Sometimes the causes of problems in the community are internal. Perhaps issues such as human rights, economic justice, fairness, or other problems are hurting the community as a whole, and the individuals within the community then suffer.

The last verse of this psalm reminds us that we are not isolated individuals. We are social creatures. And our well-being is directly tied to the health and well-being of the community around us. This is why Jesus was so directly involved in matters institutional and political. He knew that for people to have good, whole, creative, flourishing lives, a healthy social context and social institutions were needed to support that kind of living. If you plant a good seed in toxic soil, it won’t grow. A healthy context is needed for growth and flourishing life. A healthy community is needed. Working for a healthy, just community nurtures our personal well-being. And fostering our health and well-being as individuals helps to create a healthy, just community. The psalm reminds us that healthy, thriving individuals and just, healthy societies go together.

Prayer
We pray for relief and deliverance from all the things that afflict us as individuals, as communities, and as a society. May we seek health and wholeness so that everyone may know the abundant life that God intends for everyone. Amen.

When is the last time you accused someone of being “wantonly treacherous”? Have you come home from work and fumed to your partner about someone at the office being “wantonly treacherous”? Can you think of an incident that was a deliberate, unprovoked cruel or violent action involving betrayal or deception? That’s strong language. That’s severe behavior. Wantonly treacherous. The phrase is used in Psalm 25.

There are basically two categories of people referred to in the Psalms. There are those who trust God, who are trying to live by God’s justice, who are concerned about the well-being of the community, who are trying to be humble, dependent on God, sinners seeking mercy. That’s group one. The group that those who wrote the psalms represent. Then there’s group two. Those who are evil, wicked, and wantonly treacherous. The second group is self-centered, ruled by self-interest, and has little or no consideration for others.

In a society that praises and promotes self-actualization, self-sufficiency, and instant gratification, the default setting for group identification may be group two. Without much thought or effort we may be numbered among the wantonly treacherous. For instance, could the war in Iraq have been considered, “deliberate, unprovoked cruel or violent action involving betrayal or deception”? Some would say so. Could the economic melt down be considered wantonly treacherous? Some would say so. We might not be as far as we think from the wantonly treacherous.

The point of our faith is to encourage us to live the examined life. And to make thoughtful choices considering the wider implications and consequences of our actions. That’s how we become part of the justice and peace that fulfill divine intentions for the world and creation. We want to try to be in group one because that is the valid path to life that is full, abundant, and joyful for ALL people.

Feeling wantonly treacherous? Don’t panic. As Psalm 25 assures us, God’s character is merciful, loving, and faithful. There is always a place saved for us in group one!

Prayer
It’s easy to get caught up in the living of our days and lose sight of the fact that we are part of a larger reality. Our world can become small and self centered. Our faith invites us to broader horizons. We find our highest good in giving ourselves away in love, mercy, and compassion grounded in God. May we remind ourselves each day to seek goodness and grace. Amen.