Living Wisely in an imperfect world: Insights from Psalm 37
July 14, 2023 - Friday, 14th Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40
Psalm 37 is a wisdom psalm that teaches us how to navigate a world where the wicked often prosper and the just face persecution. In such circumstances, people tend to react with anger or envy. Angry individuals seek to take justice into their own hands and punish all the wicked. Those who envy the prosperity of the wicked may even join their ranks. However, both of these reactions are unacceptable for a Christian.
Saint James reminds us that "human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires" (James 1:20), and the book of Proverbs advises, "Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company" (Prov. 24:1). Saint John Paul II also warns that programs rooted in the idea of justice often end up inflicting injustice (see "Dives in Misericordia," 12). The psalmist asserts that the wicked have no future, for "they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb" (Ps 37:2).
If neither anger nor envy is the appropriate reaction to a world where the wicked thrive and the just are humiliated and persecuted, what should our response be? According to the psalmist, there is only one way: "trust in the LORD" (Ps 37:3). The word "trust" used in this psalm conveys the meaning of "clinging" and "putting confidence" in God. In the Greek Old Testament, this verb is rendered as "hope." Thus, we are reminded of the famous verse by Paul, describing Abraham's trust as "hoping against all hope" (Rom 4:18). The impossible happened—Abraham and Sarah had a son in their old age. This trust and hope should permeate our entire lives.
"Turn from evil and do good, that you may abide forever" (Ps 37:27). During the martial law in Poland (1981-83), miners in one of the mines in the Silesian region apprehended someone who had shot at them. How did they respond? Did they take justice into their own hands? No. They let him go free. Why? Because they had just participated in the Eucharist. They realized that "an eye for an eye" is a distortion of justice and that evil should be overcome with good (Rom 12:31). How do we fare in such situations?
Psalm 37 offers practical guidance for living in our imperfect world. "Trust in the Lord" and "take delight in the Lord" emphasize the importance of our relationship with God. "Turn from evil and do good" underscores the significance of leading a virtuous life. Furthermore, the psalmist assures those who trust in the Lord of God's providence. He saves us from the hands of the wicked, supports us when we stumble and deems us righteous in His eyes.