The 23rd Psalm is a powerful expression of faith in the Jewish and Christian religious traditions. Its poetic language invites us to experience its imagery. We can walk in its green pastures and immerse ourselves in its still waters. We can make it our own because it is deeply personal. "The Lord is MY shepherd. I lack nothing. [My shepherd] guides ME through green pastures and still waters and restores MY soul.  In his hierarchy of needs, psychologist Abraham Maslow suggested that there is a pyramid effect regarding human needs. The lower, more foundational, needs were met before the higher ones could be addressed. The foundational physical needs -- food, water, and shelter--- come first. Then, the need for security and safety can be addressed. After that, we give attention to social, communal, relational needs, etc. Finally, when all these needs have been met, human beings can address the need for self-fulfillment and meaning in life. For example, security needs are not the highest priority for a person who is starving!

The God of the 23rd Psalm meets all these needs:  food, water, shelter, safety, relationship, companionship, meaning, and intimacy. God enables us to face the fear of death with confidence. Our faith in God is vindicated even in the presence of our enemies. We are safe and secure. Ultimately, we are given a calling -- the anointing of oil - just as the king was anointed with oil as a sign of his special vocation. There is the promise of abundance and protection throughout all of life and ultimately a home with God.

The 23rd Psalm is also powerful in our lives for a reason more intrinsic to the psalm itself. It conveys the promise of comfort that comes from the presence of God who is powerful and personal. Fifteen years ago, my wife and I traveled to Bogotá, Colombia with our son to adopt our daughter. We encountered a number of obstacles. One of these required me to stay a second week in Bogotá while my wife and son returned home. The first night after they had gone, I was sitting holding our baby girl who was about two months old. I was with a group of adoptive parents and we were sharing our stories. Suddenly, a fire alarm sounded and the reality struck me that it was my room that was ablaze. A candle, burning because of the power outage at the hotel, had fallen onto the bed and the room was consumed in destructive smoke and fire.

Virtually everything I had brought with me was lost, though I did manage to retrieve her paperwork from the desk drawer in the room. Our passports and my wallet were in my pocket. My greatest anxiety was that somehow, as a consequence of the fire, we would be prevented from following through with the adoption. It was a lonely night - a time in the valley of the shadow. Suddenly, I pictured the faces of family and friends. I felt the presence of community. They were with me and I felt comforted. God had brought healing to me.

Each of us enters the life of the 23rd Psalm with our own hopes and expectations. Where in your life do you long for comfort? How important is it for you to think of God as Comforter, one who makes you feel better? At the same time, comfort is not always what we need most. Comfort can sometimes lead to a sense of dependence on another. Biblical faith is never about fostering dependence. YAHWEH set people free! Freedom is still the hallmark of truth faith.

Our language for God is symbolic. Since the biblical description of the universe no longer reflects our contemporary scientific knowledge, the idea of God as a Being who lives just beyond the clouds, keeps score in our lives, and pops into the world from time to time either to fix things or to wreck havoc no longer rings true for many people. As a result, many faithful followers are inclined to discard entirely the sense of a God who is, among many other descriptions, also personal. Yet in doing so, are we not in danger of throwing out the baby with the bath water?  We risk allowing a suspicion and fear of untenable doctrines, repressive creeds, and oppressive institutions to deprive us of the blessings present in the image of a personal God.

Without healing, without peace, we are ruled by anxiety. We are separated from our true selves. To follow Jesus, we must become ourselves. The power of the 23rd Psalm is to help us let go of our fear of fear, and be our best selves even in the darkness of life, even in the valley of the shadow of death. Peace is the gift of self. We find it in community. We discover it within ourselves as we choose to step into our fear and walk by faith.

The gift you and I have to share with this world is the peace we discover in our lives, the experience we have of the living God, and the willingness to walk with others through their valleys of shadowed darkness. The hope we can give to others is the hope we embrace ourselves that "goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives and," in some mysterious and unknown way, "we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Thanks for continuing to bless me as we journey together.
  
Jack Price

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