Saturday, April 11, 2009

Psalm 143

¹ O LORD, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.

² Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.

³ The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in darkness
like those long dead.

⁴ So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.

⁵ I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.

⁶ I spread out my hands to you;
my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.
Selah

⁷ Answer me quickly, O LORD;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.

⁸ Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.

⁹ Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD,
for I hide myself in you.

¹⁰ Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.

¹¹ For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life;
in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.

¹² In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant.

Reflection

This year, like all other years, I sat down to faithfully watch the Academy Awards. I love critiquing what everyone is wearing, and I was really excited to watch the rumored performance of Beyonce set to air in the middle of the awards. However, this year I was mesmerized as the Kodac Theater was transformed from a glitzy hall to a humble church affirming the cries of a young screenwriter. Dustin Lance Black won an Oscar this year for his authorship of the screenplay "Milk" written about the gay political activist Harvey Milk. This is an excerpt from his acceptance speech:

"When I was 13 years old, my beautiful mother and my father moved me from a conservative Mormon home in San Antonio, Texas to California, and I heard the story of Harvey Milk. And it gave me hope. It gave me the hope to live my life. It gave me the hope one day I could live my life openly as who I am and then maybe even I could even fall in love and one day get married. I want to thank my mom, who has always loved me for who I am even when there was pressure not to. But most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he'd want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told that they are less than by their churches, by the government or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally, across this great nation of ours. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you God, for giving us Harvey Milk".

The author of Psalm 143 cries tears of pain and wants for God. Dustin Lance Black also knows the pain of a wanting spirit and proclaimed the words of Psalm 143 "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love", from the Oscar podium in his own prophetic Oscar-winning words. "You are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you."

Rejoice today. God loves you.

Written by a PC Senior.

Today please pray for Spectrum.