The Peace We Long For: Advent in Disorienting Times | Day 8

Let fairness rise like mountains and peace flow down like rivers through every land. Defend the poor and the powerless; protect the children who have no one to stand for them. Break the grip of those who oppress and exploit.

Psalm 72

Psalm 72 is a coronation prayer for the hopes and dreams of how an earthly king should and could rule. The Psalmist seems to be an idealist. The cynic in me wants to point out that their vision of a king appears not just aspirational but audacious.

If you were to open Psalm 72 in your Bible, you most likely won’t find this interpretation because I asked ChatGPT to rewrite a modern version for our context. What might our prayer and yearning be at this moment? Advent is a season that captures this tension of what the world is and all the disorientation that we are experiencing, and what the world could be. A world where peace flows like a river in every land, where the poor and powerless are defended, where children are protected, and the grip of those who oppress is broken. 

When our eyes begin to see the pain and hurt around us, it can be disorienting. Our goal in these moments is not just to mourn the confusion we feel but to take action.

We should strive to cultivate the beloved world that we believe God is guiding us to build with our hands and feet.

“...Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy…”