Don’t put your hopes on politics

Norah Summers November 05, 2018 0 0

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Psalm 146

1 Praise the Lord!
    Praise the Lord, my soul!
2 I will praise him as long as I live;
    I will sing to my God all my life.

3 Don't put your trust in human leaders;
    no human being can save you.
4 When they die, they return to the dust;
    on that day all their plans come to an end.

5 Happy are those who have the God of Jacob to help them
    and who depend on the Lord their God,
6 the Creator of heaven, earth, and sea,
    and all that is in them.
He always keeps his promises;
7     he judges in favor of the oppressed
    and gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets prisoners free
8     and gives sight to the blind.
He lifts those who have fallen;
    he loves his righteous people.
9 He protects the strangers who live in our land;
    he helps widows and orphans,
    but takes the wicked to their ruin.

10 The Lord is king forever.
    Your God, O Zion, will reign for all time.

Praise the Lord!

Well, as if I would.

Has any age had less cause than ours to trust politics and politicians? Daily we learn of more failures, more disasters, more horrors.

Yet it seems it was ever thus – here is the Psalmist saying, in so many words, don’t put your trust in human leaders.

The poor, the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoners – those in power find these people a nuisance, a hindrance. Caring gets in the way of money-making, indeed it may actually cost money! Compassion is weakness, people should stand on their own feet. If you are rich, you must be doing things right – and conversely . . .

Of course there are good people around, who have insight, common sense, and love for their needy neighbours – but it seems that the other sort always have – take? – more power. 

Faithful God, 

our help in ages past,

we put our trust in you.

You are on the side of the poor, 

the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoner, 

the widow and the orphan.

With you, for you,

may we give a voice to the voiceless, 

give more power to the powerless, 

feed the hungry,

welcome the stranger,

proclaim the day of the Lord.