Susan LaffertyThe organ shrieks as we enter the sanctuary. Dissonant. Avant garde notes bouncing off ancient stone floors. Filling the arched ceilings.
Discordant.
Disconcerting.
Seemingly out of place with the luminous stained glass and stately wooden pews.
The psalmist watches the wicked. And envy almost leads him astray. Almost.
Psalm 73 details what he sees. Chronicles his struggles with the why of their influence and power. Their wealth.
He wonders if the straight and narrow is worth the painful realities of his life.
Oppression runs rampant in our world today. Trampling the poor. Persecuting the faithful. Trafficking the helpless. Destroying innocence. It’s splashed across screens here in America and on the other side of the world.
I’ve looked into the eyes of those caught in this evil. Devastated by it. I’ve heard their stories. I know those in the thick of trying to reach and rescue and rehabilitate and restore. It’s no simple task. No quick “glory story.” It’s hard and messy.
The gospel is the only answer. This I know with all my heart.
But some days it feels like darkness is winning.