By Sarah Martin, a first-year music major from Columbus, Ohio
Scripture: Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 (NRSV)
this year like all the other years my
prayer is the candle I light
and stare into
pondering the kingdom and
the growing darkness where
God is still present with us,
unseen
Prayer. It’s something that Christians hold central to their relationship with God, and yet it can often seem elusive. How should we pray? What should we pray for? What does prayer actually do? In my experience, I think it’s safe to say that prayer is not always something that comes easily or naturally.
In Psalm 72, King Solomon is offering a profound prayer that God will restore justice and righteousness among the Israelites. He prays for help in being king; he realizes he cannot justly rule Israel on his own. He knows that he doesn’t know how to use his own power for good.
Although we are not kings, I think that many of us living in the powerful, rich United States can identify with this prayer. We see that we have power, but we don’t know how to use it for good. We find ourselves stumbling for answers on what to do with our power — our money, our time, our social privilege, our education. We wonder if it is even legitimate that we have so much more power than others in the first place. We ask God to help us use our power in a way that makes justice a reality in our world.
During Advent, we are especially invited to sit with these prayers and these questionings. We are expected to be expectant, waiting for justice and righteousness and the answers to our prayers to arrive. We are invited to wait, knowing that at the right time, God will be with us, yet at the same time, pondering what that will look like. This is as important for us today as it was for the Solomon, Mary and all the other people who lived in expectance of the coming of the Messiah. During Advent, we are invited to ponder: How will the Kingdom of God be made known in our own lives?
Scripture: Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 (NRSV)
Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son.
2May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.
3May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness.
4May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.
5May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth.
7In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
18Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.
19Blessed be his glorious name forever; may his glory fill the whole earth. Amen and Amen.