You . . . and Your

Surely your goodness and mercy . . .  

    From the Twenty-Third Psalm

The 23rd Psalm begins, and ends, by speaking of The LORD in the third Person. The LORD gives me life. He guides me. He protects me. He takes care of me. He makes me live forever, in peace. 

But the middle third of the Psalm, speaks of The LORD in the second Person. 

YOU are with me. 

YOUR rod and YOUR staff comfort me. 

YOU spread a table. 

YOU anoint my head with oil.

YOUR goodness and mercy follows me.

In the middle of the passage, God is present. He is right here. He touches me. He feeds me. He serves me. 

Notice the imagery of a table covered in your favorite foods. Thanksgiving on steroids. Everybody's talking and laughing. The LORD sits at the head of the table. 

No . . . that's not where He sits. He gestures for me to go to the head of the table. He is focused on me. 

The valley of the shadow of death evokes an image of walking down the cavernous streets of a city, surrounded by people that may, in an instant, become violent. If you say the wrong thing, if you're dressed the wrong way . . . if you look like the wrong type of person, or the wrong race, you could suddenly find yourself in unexpected danger. Shadows are intimidating enough, when you're already in a potentially dangerous place. Shadows of death, even more so. 

The LORD's answer to injustice, fear, danger, violence, is to go find people living in fear. He does not exact revenge upon the oppressors. He doesn't pass laws. He doesn't remove the few barriers in society, separating His people from danger. 

No. He invites His children - His flock - in, and serves them a meal. He makes them safe - not safe, via aggressive measures; but safe, via sincere love for them, and acts of service and care. 

The answer to injustice, danger, violence and systemic anything, is to take care of those around you. 

Systems are comprised of people. We always have been the answer to the problems in the world.