Vital thoughts, reflections from Psalm 23

We left the world in a muddle, hopeless and helpless, crying Rubén's fatal and painful poem.

Alejandro Roop, a professor at Wheaton College, guided a group of conference attendees through Spanish literature and Biblical interpretation in a time of worship today at the North American Foreign Language Association conference that I'm attending. He brought out theological themes from several different literary works. I especially appreciated Rubén Darío's piece because I studied Darío's work more in-depth in Nicaragua. When I read the poem again today, though, I thought it a fitting commentary for today's world.

The question is, where do we go from here? Is it truly as hopeless and painful as Rubén says? That's where Roop turned us to Scripture, especially the thoughts of Psalm 23. Rubén talks about not knowing our path, or where we're going. The poet in the Bible talks about God leading him on good paths. Look:

^1-3 God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.

⁴ Even when the way goes through
Death Valley,
I'm not afraid
when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd's crook
makes me feel secure.

⁵ You serve me a six-course dinner
right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head;
my cup brims with blessing.

⁶ Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
I'm back home in the house of God
for the rest of my life.

Rubén says we have no path, and the Message (and the psalmist) declare that God directs our paths. "Lo fatal" (name of Rubén's poem) talks about the temptations of the flesh and the waiting tomb, but the singer rejoices in a banquet and lavishness without guilt. He is confident that God will guide him through the valley of the shadow of death.

There is an answer to our questions. We do not have to suffer the pain of being alive because Jesus Christ suffered for us. It's not an easy answer. Suffering is still involved. Life is still messy. But we no longer have to fear the grave. We are not purposeless. The Creator has breathed life into us, rescued us from our vices. He sets our feet on a right path. We do not fear death because we have been made alive in Christ.

Maybe it seems like a cop-out answer. Too easy. Maybe in some ways, it is. But read the psalm. Let it soak in. Think about what it means. Read the rest of the story, too. The whole Bible if you want, or just start with parts. John 10, for example, where we find out that Jesus is the good shepherd. So the Lord, the one who gives rest and direction, the good shepherd...is the Jesus who healed people, and loved people, and died for people so we can be alive and unafraid. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want...I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.