6 mins
Epiphany on the Capitol
Photo: iStock
EPIPHANY often passes me by fairly swiftly. But I’m not sure I’ll ever forget where I was or what I was doing on January 6 2021.
Along with ninety others I was taking part in the first of an eight-week series of seminars on the Psalms. This was a global gathering – one of the great benefits of Zoom – and we had at least 20 screens with us from the United States of America.
Almost as soon as we had logged on and greeted one another, some of our north American friends shared with us the news of what they were watching, live-streamed, from Capitol Hill.
Karl Barth is credited with saying: “Take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible.” Today he may have said: take your online bible on one screen and your news feeds on another. But be sure to read the news through the lens of the Bible.
As events from Washington DC unfolded in front of us, we turned our attention to the Psalms. Split into five books, the Psalms are typically understood as ‘the songbook of David.’ While the 150 Psalms read as song, they also read as poetry, as praise or petition; as rage, as delight and as confession. They sweep across the whole gamut of human experience and so provide solid ground on which to stand when faced with momentous change, even conflict.
This is not to say that we may look to the Psalms, or to any passage in scripture, to justify a position or a posture. But rather, this is to say that if we find ourselves in a situation of uncertainty, when the ground beneath our feet is shaking, we know that we can look to the Psalms for wisdom and guidance.
By the end of our eight-week course, we were reassured on day one, we would have read through the whole 150 Psalms.
So it was unsurprising that as we watched the iconic process and places of the free world seem to turn democracy on its head, we were diving deep into Psalms 1 and 2.
Passages such as ‘happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked’ and ‘the kings of the earth set themselves …. against the Lord and his anointed’ resonated loudly as the chants emerged from the steps of the Capitol.
The call and response of an orator and a crowd can compel delight such as at music festivals or during unaccompanied psalm singing. I’ve been to my share of marches and rallies, of festivals and gatherings inspired by powerful preachers and compelling politicians. I’ve felt that overwhelming urge to rise up and join my voice with those of others. And I’ve witnessed the thin line between peaceful protest, and action that can spill over into mayhem, violence even. The same call and response that can rouse may also incite violence. We see this in Mark 15:14.
Pilate to the crowd: ‘Then what do you wish me to do?’ The crowd to Pilate: ‘Crucify him!’ One of the first lessons in becoming a mediator is to learn the power of every single word that is used. And to wield that power wisely.
As world events unfold in front of us, as we read the newspaper, watch our news feeds, so we look to scripture, to the Psalms, to the life of Christ to keep us solid and rooted in the fundamentals of faith: “happy are those who … delight in the law of the Lord… They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.” Psalm 1. ¤ Ruth Harvey is a minister in the Church of Scotland and Leader of the Iona Community.
REVIEWS
FAITH AFTER DOUBT
Why your beliefs stopped working and what to do about it
Written by: Brian McLaren
Published by: Hodder & Stoughton
Price: £14.99
As the founder of a non-denominational church in the US to which he pastored for over 20 years, McLaren is regarded as one of the leading figures in the global emerging church movement. His work is drawn from his experience in establishing a new church community and building on those foundations.
The clue to his latest work lies in the title – how does doubt and questioning play a part in faith – and how can it shape future faith?
In his introduction, McLaren gives the reader permission to doubt, with a series of powerful examples of faith waivering crossing all Christian denominations drawn from real-life examples (with names changed).
He explains that he understands doubt perfectly – as he is both a believer and doubter admitting: ‘Sometimes, I flip back and forth five times a day, and sometimes, I’m both at exactly the same time.’
Reinforcing that doubt is a fundamental part of faith, he adds: ‘Eventually I came to realise doubt was a companion, every bit as resilient and persistent as faith and she wasn’t going away. I realised she had some things to teach me, and I decided that
ANCESTRAL JOURNEYS
19th and 20th Century Encounters With
Religious Missions in the Middle East
Written by: Anita Damiani-Shanley
Price: £15.00
Available to buy at:
https://www.hadeel.org/product/ancestral-journeys/
Family history is always fascinating. For anyone with an interest in the Near East – and the influence of Christian churches, this charming book is a must-read.
Damiani-Shanley, who now lives in Edinburgh and a member at the city’s Polwarth Parish Church, has, with the support of family, traced the history of her family – from their roots in the silk industry in Scotland which took them to Lebanon, connecting with the As’ads of northern Syria, resulting in the marriage of the oldest daughter and son of both families and bringing together two very different cultures through love.
The book traces the family journey through the Near East and their encounters through school and society with many Christian missions in the region and the social and political changes which shaped the region during that time. The book will appeal to those with an interest in the social and historical journeys taken by families during the 19th and 20th centuries, but also to those with a fascination for overseas mission – and the many denominations which reached out during this time.
THE GREAT DISCOVERY: THE FAITH OF A SCIENTIST FOUNDED ON LOVE
Written by: John Kusel
Published by: Handsel Press and Sanctus Media
Price: £5.00 (on Kindle)
This is a fascinating personal journey, charted by a retired scientist (and university teacher) on his understanding of faith and a deep seated love of science.
John, who is a regular contributor to the letters pages of this magazine, has pulled together a lifetime of experience to show again that faith and science are not incompatible, drawing on a lifetime of experience both in the UK and overseas.
Like many in their formative years, he acknowledges he was conflicted by a love of both science and faith at a young age, but uses this book to show the changes in understanding which manifested during work both in the UK and overseas in the pursuit of important scientific research. His work and travels have left him ultimately to believe his faith in both science and religion is justified, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic as he concludes: ‘This virus has shown us that God is with us whosoever we are and with any religion or none. We are humans and we all experience him whatever our origin or background.’
Lynne McNeil
This article appears in the March 2021 Issue of Life and Work
If you would like to view other issues of Life and Work, you can see the full archive
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