The Lord is my light

Psalms 27:1-6

Triumphant Song of Confidence

Of David.

​The Lord is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me

to devour my flesh—

my adversaries and foes—

they shall stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear;

though war rise up against me,

yet I will be confident.

One thing I asked of the Lord,

that will I seek after:

to live in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

to behold the beauty of the Lord,

and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter

in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

he will set me high on a rock.

Now my head is lifted up

above my enemies all around me,

and I will offer in his tent

sacrifices with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Midsummer in this hemisphere

The longest day

But for many 

Just another long night

Another sojourn in the dark

Another day of grieving another night of loss

Where was the protection of God?

Where was the shelter?

When a gunman filled with hatred

Blinded with prejudice

Chose the sanctuary of a church

To wreak carnage

To proclaim evil

To defile all that is sacred and true

How does the beauty of the Lord

Ever emerge from the shadow of such darkness?

How did we get it so wrong

How did we fail so miserably in sharing the love of God

And the teachings of Christ?

That children of God can look into each other's eyes

And see differences with eyes of judgement

Judgement that divides and diminishes 

While God, our light and salvation

Weeps in impotence

Consumed by the darkness

Too dense for the light to breakthrough

And a triumphant song of confidence

Becomes a song of lament

Remembering: Cynthia Hurd, Clementa Pinckney, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Tywanza Sanders. Ethel Lance, Depayne Middleton-Doctor, Susie Jackson, Daniel Simmons Sr, Myra Thompson.