The psalms have an unusual place in Christian devotion. On the one hand, they have long been the staple of devotional reading of scripture. In my tradition (the Church of England) they have a central place in formal, daily liturgy. Alongside that, Christians of every tradition treasure them as a spiritual resource, with their honesty, tenderness, and expression of longing for God. They are one of the most common inspirations for Christian hymnody, and include favourite passages (Psalms 23, 42, 121) to which people return again and again.
On the other hand, they are full of conflict, even to the point of aggression. At times, the psalmist has been led astray by his own failings (Psalm 51); at other times there is an almost inexplicable sense of isolation and distance from God (Psalm 13); yet very often, the challenges the psalmist faces are caused by opposition from a human adversary. And it is the psalmist’s response to his adversaries which can give us pause.
As we read these difficult texts, we need to realise some important truths about them.
Our words to God
First, the strong reactions of the psalmist to being opposed, oppressed, and treated unjustly are precisely what makes the psalms appealing to us. We, too, feel anger, grief, and frustration when we have been treated unjustly and are powerless to act. We are accustomed to thinking about scripture as God’s word to us – but suddenly we find, in the psalms, that scripture provides us with our words to God. We sit where the psalmist sits, we speak the words the psalmist speaks, and we find a way of articulating our most visceral emotions.
And this brings home a vital truth to us: God does not sit, unmoved and unmovable, so far above the realities of human life that he cannot face our anger and despair. The repeated assurance is that he hears our cry, and the psalms give voice to that cry. How does God respond to the plight of the refugee, the victim of violence, and those caught up in the tragedy of war? The psalmist tells us that he hears, and will answer.
