Psalm 27
This Psalm would offer comfort to anyone who has adversaries, who are afraid or have foes who seem against them. This could almost be any minority. It could be anyone who has whole segments of society degrading and bemoaning them. There is great comfort in the Lord our God who loves each one of us with reckless abandon. Jesus gave his life so we could live, our joy is in Him and in the love that he shows us. Jesus is a counterpoint to all that is evil. Jesus IS, the way, the truth and the life.
But what of enemies from within? My Pop and I become very good friends after a long absence in my life. We spoke a great deal. I am blessed to say we were friends. Pop was quite wise and I recall a conversation about a book we each had read called The Power of Your
Subconscious Mind. Your subconscious mind listens a great deal to what is said. He gave the example of a young lad whose dad always called the kid an idiot. Of course the child grew up thinking he himself was an idiot. Our subconscious listens to everything. Even when we make a mistake and we say to ourselves how stupid we are.
But it is not just bad parenting or off handed self judgements about ourselves that our subconscious listens to. We listen to what we hear in the world around us, the news, our churches and at school. If you are gay, you have had bad vibes and judgements hurled your way almost your whole life. It is no wonder so many in my age group (pretty old) denied, denied and denied some more that we could be gay. Our subconscious said it was wrong, wrong, wrong. But just as importantly, we begin to believe all the other things we have heard about being gay.
What does this mean to us? The enemies we face when we come out gay are myriad but sadly it also means we have an enemy within. We have to reprogram ourselves to know that being gay is a gift from God. We have to be born again so to speak. Not as some religious fanatic but as someone who recognizes their self worth, that God loves them in spite of what some would say, inspite of what your church may say.
A risk we have is that we bifurcate our lives. I am incredibly sad for clergy and others who have split lives. They are gay but it is a hidden part of their lives. They never acknowledge who they are to the world. The deny the world of the grace and love of their total being. It seems almost schizophrenic. To stay in a world of the religious who at once renounce who you are as evil must do enormous damage to ones mind. I can only imagine you would have to be filled with an incredible amount of self loathing.
The Lord is my light and my salvation, not only against those who outwardly oppress and bully us. The Lord is also the light to all the doubts, fears and enemies within ourselves. Let your light shine. Being gay is a gift and a joy.
This Psalm would offer comfort to anyone who has adversaries, who are afraid or have foes who seem against them. This could almost be any minority. It could be anyone who has whole segments of society degrading and bemoaning them. There is great comfort in the Lord our God who loves each one of us with reckless abandon. Jesus gave his life so we could live, our joy is in Him and in the love that he shows us. Jesus is a counterpoint to all that is evil. Jesus IS, the way, the truth and the life.
But what of enemies from within? My Pop and I become very good friends after a long absence in my life. We spoke a great deal. I am blessed to say we were friends. Pop was quite wise and I recall a conversation about a book we each had read called The Power of Your
Subconscious Mind. Your subconscious mind listens a great deal to what is said. He gave the example of a young lad whose dad always called the kid an idiot. Of course the child grew up thinking he himself was an idiot. Our subconscious listens to everything. Even when we make a mistake and we say to ourselves how stupid we are.
But it is not just bad parenting or off handed self judgements about ourselves that our subconscious listens to. We listen to what we hear in the world around us, the news, our churches and at school. If you are gay, you have had bad vibes and judgements hurled your way almost your whole life. It is no wonder so many in my age group (pretty old) denied, denied and denied some more that we could be gay. Our subconscious said it was wrong, wrong, wrong. But just as importantly, we begin to believe all the other things we have heard about being gay.
What does this mean to us? The enemies we face when we come out gay are myriad but sadly it also means we have an enemy within. We have to reprogram ourselves to know that being gay is a gift from God. We have to be born again so to speak. Not as some religious fanatic but as someone who recognizes their self worth, that God loves them in spite of what some would say, inspite of what your church may say.
A risk we have is that we bifurcate our lives. I am incredibly sad for clergy and others who have split lives. They are gay but it is a hidden part of their lives. They never acknowledge who they are to the world. The deny the world of the grace and love of their total being. It seems almost schizophrenic. To stay in a world of the religious who at once renounce who you are as evil must do enormous damage to ones mind. I can only imagine you would have to be filled with an incredible amount of self loathing.
The Lord is my light and my salvation, not only against those who outwardly oppress and bully us. The Lord is also the light to all the doubts, fears and enemies within ourselves. Let your light shine. Being gay is a gift and a joy.
Of David.
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me
to devour my flesh—
my adversaries and foes—
they shall stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
yet I will be confident.
One thing I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.
Now my head is lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,
be gracious to me and answer me!
‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek his face!’
Your face, Lord, do I seek.
Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in anger,
you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
If my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will take me up.
Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they are breathing out violence.
I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
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