Our daily reflections follow the M'Cheyne Bible reading plan, designed for those who want to read the whole Bible in one year. Each reflection focuses on one of the chapters from that day's readings. Darllenwch rhain yn Gymraeg.
Lord, open my ears to hear what you have to say to me; open my heart to love your word, and open my mind to understand your truth.
The first part of Psalm 137 is a plaintive lament for what the people of God in exile have lost. The psalmist is disconnected from the Temple and the land, and therefore from God. How can he 'sing a song to the Lord in a foreign land?' (verse 4).
Exile is a common experience. Today, older Christians have a sense of exile when they can no longer sing the familiar hymns that nourished their faith. Christians in the West see the Church's decline, and grieve. Moving house, a change in lifestyle – many things can weaken our ties to the things that supported our faith. But the psalmist clings desperately to his sense of God's enduring presence.
The last verse of the psalm is horrible: happy is the man who 'takes your babies and smashes them against a rock'. It makes a difference, though, where the emphasis falls: it should be on 'your'. The psalmist is remembering what the Babylonians did to him, and calling for vengeance. It is not 'true', in the sense that it's a correct doctrinal statement; God doesn't bless people who murder children. But it's true to life, in expressing the hopeless grief and rage of someone who has had everything taken away from them. Of course, this is a moment in time: elsewhere in the Bible there's faith in God in dire situations of anguish and loss. But perhaps this dreadful verse tells us that those who are suffering need to express their pain before they can find their hope again.
God, when I am lost or in pain, help me to remember that you are still with me. Remind me that I can never travel beyond the reach of your loving grace.
This reflection was written by Mark Woods, Bible Society's Editor
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