The 23rd Psalm

A Christian Scientist forwarded this breakdown of the 23rd Psalm and I really like it, so I share it here. He didn't know who wrote it, so I don't know either; if anyone knows, share it with me and I'll attribute it to hir.

Psalm 23: A Psalm of David (KJV)

The Lord is my shepherd; - that's relationship
I shall not want. - that's supply
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: - that's rest
He leadeth me beside the still waters. - that's refreshment
He restoreth my soul: - that's healing
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness - that's guidance
for His name's sake - that's purpose
Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, - that's testing
I will fear no evil; - that's protection
For Thou art with me; - that's faithfulness
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. - that's discipline
Thou prepareth a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: - that's hope
Thou anointest my head with oil; - that's consecration
My cup runneth over. - that's abundance
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: - that's blessing
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord - that's security
For ever. - that's eternity

Limbaugh vs. Fluke

By now, surely nearly everyone in the United States has heard about Rush Limbaugh’s attack on Sandra Fluke, the college student who testified on the federal contraception mandate for health insurance.  The flap began with the objections of certain religious organizations, such as the Catholic church, to providing coverage for contraception under the new federal mandate, and the ensuing all-male hearing on it before the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee. I find this stand of some churches deeply ironic*, but fine – my feelings about their policy positions are irrelevant in this instance. What is relevant is the freedom this nation guarantees to its religious institutions, the benefit to and obligation of society to ensure the availability of health care for its members, and equal treatment of every individual under the law. 

So grant a religious exemption from the contraception mandate, under the condition that any institution which chooses this exemption provide a “cash bonus” in every woman’s pay package that is adequate to pay for the contraception she needs on the open market. The church then is free from supporting a “sin” it dislikes, while the contraception needs of its employees are met fairly. Then the “sin” is born by the individual, should she choose to spend her bonus in this way, and not by the religious institution.

The harsh rhetoric on both sides is a socially destructive waste of time.

* Denial of contraception increases the incidence of unwanted pregnancy, driving the demand for abortion up. Prohibition of abortion drives supply down. The natural result is an increase in the price of abortion, with providers stepping in to enjoy the rewards of higher prices. Women with resources leave the country to get safe, legal abortions in countries where it's legal. Desperate women seek back-alley abortions, with all the health risks that entails. Women without resources birth unwanted children into a life of poverty, neglect, sometimes abuse, and often, eventually, a life of crime. (See "Freakonomics," by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner.)

Dancing With God

Some time ago I read an article titled “5 Lessons From the Dance Floor,” which drew an analogy between ballroom dancing and one’s relationship with God.  I found it inspiring, and since I enjoy ballroom dancing it touched a chord. I copied the five basic ideas down, and since then I’ve carried those in my wallet. Every once in a while I pull them out and review them. Today, I thought I’d explore them anew here. I don’t remember the details, the author, and so on, so I’ll just paraphrase what I remember, and what it means to me now, and hope that it brings blessings to any who read.

Lesson 1: Let Him lead.

On the dance floor, things get ugly if I try to lead. It’s my job to follow, and to be as responsive as possible to all the little signals my partner sends me. Often these are subtle – a light pressure on my back, or the bend of a wrist – but the more in tune I am to pick up on this, the more graceful we are as a couple. I have more fun, and a great sense of teamwork. It’s like that with God, too – when I relax and follow His lead, joy springs alive throughout the day and into the night.

Lesson 2: Trust Him.

Can I successfully follow my partner if I don’t trust him? I need to have faith that he won’t crash me into one of the other couples on the floor, or drop me during a dip. In turn, that faith allows me to respond more fully, experience more richly. I need to trust God, too – and know that He will never drop me, never leave me without the resources to meet every need, every crisis, every eventuality. When I go forth in the morning trusting God, bad things happen less often; and when they do happen, I shift to a place of peace and confidence, even in the midst of pain and chaos.

Lesson 3: Don’t anticipate.

I’ve been guilty of this one a lot – guessing my partner’s intention, for instance going into a spin before I get the signal, before he’s ready. It doesn’t work. I need to wait for his signal, wait for his timing. So it is with God. Things happen best on His time. An example is this blog – it’s been around a long time, and it hasn’t reflected what I wanted to say, because I anticipated; I knew I wanted a political blog, but I didn’t yet know what I wanted its voice to be. I knew I wanted to express my faith, assert my views, hurt no one, and hopefully bring a higher tone to the blogosphere and our national political discourse, but how do I do that? I don’t know it all yet, but this post, the first in a year, feels right.

Lesson 4: Be strong.

Have you ever danced with a wet noodle? When I hold my frame strong, rather than let my arms hang limp, I’m more sensitive to being led. Likewise, when I have confidence in God’s leading and all-power, when I hold strong with Him, good things happen. 

Lesson 5: Lean toward Him.

It’s easy to lean back against your partner, but I find that keeping balance on the balls of my feet enables me to move more gracefully and maintain better balance and responsiveness. This causes me to lean toward my partner. To know God, to love Him, we need to lean toward Him. The more I lean toward Him, the easier I respond to His lead, the more I feel the comfort of His presence.

There you have it. I’m sure I’ve gotten a number of these very different from the original article, but that’s okay – this is what it means to me now. It’s the basic ideas, I think, that are most helpful and important. I hope it makes your day a little brighter.