Arise thou Judge Of The World: a response to psalm 94

After an Easter break I am resuming the thread of my postings from David’s Crown, my poetic response to the Psalms, and we come to psalm 94.

Psalm 94 is one of those bracing and challenging psalms that calls out for Justice, calls out for God to come as judge, and finally set the worlds wrongs to right. It is challenging for us to say because of course we ourselves are entangled and compromised with so much that is wrong in the world. At the time I was writing my poetic response to this psalm we were becoming aware of how acutely Covid itself was exposing and increasing the gap between the haves and the have-nots and we were also in the midst of the  ferment and protest against systemic prejudice and injustice in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. All these issues made this psalm more relevant and challenging than ever.

As always you can hear me read the poems by clicking on the play button or the title and you can find the other poems in this evolving series by putting the word ‘psalm’ into the search box on the right.

The full set of these poems has now been published as a book David’s Crown which you can buy from UK Amazon Here, or, in North America, it is available from Amazon Here.

XCIV Deus ultionum

My saviour stands and keeps my soul serene

But also sends me back into the world

To speak his word and challenge the obscene

 

Injustices we take for granted, sold

As we are on systems that preserve

Our privilege and barter truth for gold,

 

Putting our souls to silence.  We reserve

Our judgment, but the psalmist makes it clear

Justice is coming for God’s poor. We serve

 

Him best if we can serve them here,

Rise up and take their part against the proud

Deliver them from harassment and fear.

 

We have been pietistic, quiet, cowed

But we must come out publicly and cry

For equal rights and justice, cry out loud.

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