Hope in Process

Psalm 9:9-20
9:9 The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

9:10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.

9:11 Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion. Declare his deeds among the peoples.

9:12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

9:13 Be gracious to me, O LORD. See what I suffer from those who hate me; you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,

9:14 so that I may recount all your praises, and, in the gates of daughter Zion, rejoice in your deliverance.

9:15 The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.

9:16 The LORD has made himself known, he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.

9:17 The wicked shall depart to the place of shadows, all the nations that forget God.

9:18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

9:19 Rise up, O LORD! Do not let mortals prevail; let the nations be judged before you.

9:20 Put them in fear, O LORD; let the nations know that they are only human.

It occurred to me as I was reading this passage that I had let years of interpretation blind me to the idea that this is a process, not a final solution. Most of Christian hymnody thinks of these passages about the Holy One meting out justice as final answers to usher in a state of peace. Perhaps because we are mortal, we look to final solutions, but the universe tells us that all is in motion, transforming from one state to another. Moreover, as on earth, what has been transformed is often very different from its perceived origin.

What if we think seriously about the idea of God within the creation, a part of it, working from within. In that case, this passage is less about God flashing out of the heavens like a caped crusader and more like the natural evolution and devolution of human systems. God then may be found in human activity that brings justice, that inspires change for the most vulnerable. This passage also suggests that no hope is in vain because everything is in process.  

Wendy Farley, Tragic Vision and Divine Compassion

God has not finished with humanity. We are still becoming, and that means we need not fear the setbacks, but can anticipate the new ways we can participate in God’s compassion. And past evil? It is only a shadow that will fade from light and life.