Living in the Spirit

August 17, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 67
May God be gracious to us and bless us
   and make his face to shine upon us,

that your way may be known upon earth,
   your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
   let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
   for you judge the peoples with equity
   and guide the nations upon earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;
   let all the peoples praise you.

The earth has yielded its increase;
   God, our God, has blessed us.
May God continue to bless us;
   let all the ends of the earth revere him.

What does it mean to bless someone? The Hebrew word barak* is translated as “bless,” in the above scripture. It also can be translated as “kneel.” Colin Kaepernick popped into my mind when I read that translation. His football career was ruined because he kneeled while the National Anthem was playing at the beginning of a football game. He was making a statement against discrimination. If I recall correctly, he had decided not to stand during the Anthem, and some well-meaning person told him that might be taken as an insult to the flag and suggested that kneeling might be more appropriate. The suggestion made sense. The American Flag symbolizes a democracy whose prime vision is that all people are created equal, which is a blessing to those of us who experience it. However, it is not a reality for many, and I believe that is the message he was trying to make. So what does the English word “bless” mean:

1.  to consecrate or hallow by religious rite or word: make or pronounce holy
2.  to invoke divine care for
3.  praise, glorify: to extol for excellences
4.  to make happy: give good fortune or satisfaction to : confer prosperity upon
5.  guard, protect, keep, preserve*

Prayer: Bless us, O, Lord, to love you more nearly as we strive to attain the equity we practice by which you judge us. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1288.htm

** https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/Bless

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.