Happy Advent! I’m so excited to get started.  But where to start? “A Liberal Christian Reads the Bible” is all about finding the Biblical support  for radical love and acceptance. Psalms are kind of like hymns, and singing always lifts my spirits, so I decided to warm up with a psalm.  Googling “Psalms for Advent” gave me a whole list (actually a whole list of lists), and I started with the first one, Psalm 16. I feel like it was divinely inspired, no joke.  By the end of the first verse, I knew it would be a good opening.

Before we talk about the psalm though, let’s talk about Advent. In a nutshell, Advent is the start of the liturgical (church) calendar, and one of my favorite seasons.  It is a time when we prepare for the coming of Christ – both His birth and His return as Messiah.  It is a time of general reflection and contemplation, making it a good time to start this project of biblical reflection and contemplation.  I think of it as a mini and more joyous Lent. Now, let’s talk about the Psalm.

“Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.”  That word refuge struck me immediately, as the media is full of news of the caravan of refugees now waiting in Mexico to cross the US border.  Then, the last verse of the first part of Psalm 16 says “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, surely I have a delightful inheritance.”  So, the first section of the psalm starts with refuge, and ends with boundaries…refuge, boundaries…refugees, borders.

16:5 (the verse immediately preceding the one mentioning borders) says “you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.”  Here God is reminding us that there is enough for all.  There are LOTS of problems in this country.  Lots.  But even so, it is a place that people come from all over the world.  If we are faithful Christians, shouldn’t we believe in God’s ability to provide for all of us?  He has assigned us our portion, our lot is secure, our boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places.  Let us share our bounty with those who may not have such blessings.  It will not hurt us to do so.

Instead, we will be “saints who are in the land…the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.” (16:3).  The ones who are in this land (the United States) who welcome these refugees, and indeed, any person in need, will find favor in the eyes of God.

Even though the first section of the Psalm spoke to me strongest, I don’t want to ignore the second two sections of the Psalm, so let’s discuss its broad strokes really quick.  According to my NIV footnotes, it is a prayer for safekeeping or a song of trust.  The three stanzas have three individual themes: One, Refuge; Two, Counsel, and Three, Rejoicing.   We’ve discussed refuge at length.

Reading it in the context I have chosen, I see part two as a reminder to reflect upon my actions, making sure they are truly Godly.  Isn’t the author of this psalm describing all of us at night when he says “even at night, my heart instructs me.”? I know that I, for one, tend to go over the day’s events as I lay in bed.  If we have the Lord “always before [us],” or actively in our thoughts, then even this seemingly mundane act can become an act of faith.

In part three, the writer rejoices. The line that most struck a cord with me is “You have made known to me the path of life…” (16:11).  To bring things full circle, Advent is a time of preparing for Jesus’ arrival.  Arrivals signal the end (and beginning) of journeys, or paths.  The refugees are on a journey, or path.  Americans are preparing for their arrival.  Some with hate and fear in their heart, others with love.  Let me end with a plea, that we prepare for the refugees’ arrival the same as we would prepare for Jesus.  With rejoicing, with generosity, and with love.  God has promised us our inheritance.  By sharing our country with others, that inheritance is not jeopardized.  Not to get ahead of myself in this Bible study, but Jesus says to welcome a stranger is to welcome him. (Matthew 25:35)  Let us welcome the strangers, and become saints of the land, worthy of God’s delight.

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If you would like to do something to help the refugees both at the Mexican border and elsewhere, the International Rescue Committee is a great organization worthy of donations.  Located closer to the action, SIREN is helping refugees apply for asylum. Also, it never hurts to call your representatives to let them know you do not agree with actions being taken at the border, like tear-gas used on children.  While there probably won’t be any immediate effect, being vocal in your beliefs can help change policy in the future.  You can find out who your representatives are, and their phone numbers, here.

Wednesday I’ll start discussing the book of Malachi, if you want to read along.