Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Psalm 148

On first glance, Psalm 148 seems to fit least of all into the Christmas season. It's a "Creation Hymn" par excellence. It could be called the short version of the more famous ode to nature, Psalm 104.

J. Clinton McCann, Jr. says, "While the songs of praise generally push toward universality, Psalm 148 takes inclusivity to the limit! . . . . In other words, praising God is the vocation and goal of all creation." And it's not an admonition such as, "everything that breathes should be praising God," but rather, "it is a matter of everything that is praising God."

The first half of the Psalm shows the heavens praising God (heaven and earth are included in a unity); then the song has a bridge reminding us that the Lord established everything and fixed their bounds which cannot be passed. In the second half, praise comes from all the earth (universe??) -- from creepy crawlers to trees on up to the rocks of the mountains themselves -- they are singing aloud their praise and thanksgiving. And all peoples of all kinds and stations in life are included in the great all-inclusive, ecological democracy of Creation with God as the Source.

It was this Psalm that inspired St. Francis of Assisi to write his famed "Canticle of the Sun" to Brother Sun and Sister Moon, etc., etc., where he clearly includes all of Creation as part of God's family. No outsiders here!

The Psalm makes it plain that each thing in Creation has its own niche and purpose, but all are knit together in one inclusive community ­ which is the model for all life including our human institutions, our economy and our life together on this puny and endangered planet. Our goal is "the Common Good." (Cf. The Earth Charter at www.earthcharterusa.org)

The other important thing to note is "[God] established them forever and ever; [the Creator] fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed." While the ecology of Earth is a process, the process includes limits and strictures that must be observed and obeyed.

We now have an economy motivated by greed (a form of the hubris of Adamah in the Garden) that demands continuous growth and expansion or it will collapse. One of my many slogan buttons says, "Do you still believe in infinite growth from finite resources?"

The whole rationale of Industrial Growth Capitalism is to keep pushing the limits. At some point in the near future the consequences will come crashing in on us. This is the great ethical problem of our time and lies behind all the other problems of racism, poverty, warfare, etc.

The remaining meditations this week deal with "growing in wisdom." The essence of wisdom begins in knowing how dependent and interdependent we are in the Web of Life and on all its gifts; and even more, to know the limits and the possibilities because when we know those, there can be unlimited growth in the intangible and spiritual.

Dave Steffenson

All contents copyright 2003 by the Wisconsin Chapter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action. Permission is granted to United Methodist congregations, individuals and groups to reproduce and distribute this devotional without charge. All other use requires the advance permission of the editor.