Tags
Ancient Songs Sung Anew, center of the heart, extraordinary, God's path, hidden blessings, psalm 128, reflection, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, wisdom
Psalm 128 is rather short, only eight verses but rich in wisdom. After reading three translations, I felt it important to pay attention to two of the lines especially. The entire psalm is about the blessings that come to those who walk upon God’s path, following God’s ways – a rather common theme throughout the book. What first got my attention was the second line of verse one which said that for those who are living that way life is filled with hidden blessings. Later, verse five proclaims that it is God, the center of the heart, who prospers life unto its end. It was upon reading the commentary that I recognized the possible richness of reflection on what was contained in these phrases. See what you think of this call to wake up to the ordinary events of life.
Sources of blessing flow hidden beneath the external surfaces of the world. These we tap as we live out our lives in right-relationship to God and to the world. Often these appear to be mundane and ordinary, but extraordinary is hidden in them. Look at your circumstances. What in the ordinary hides the extraordinary goodness of God? We are asked to see this, to penetrate past the surfaces to the heart.
Notice in verse 5 that it is at the center, the heart, where these realities become clear to us. Can you see from the level of your heart? (Ancient Songs Sung Anew, p. 331)
Psalm 128 is the one that says “your children are like olive plants around your table.” I understood this line much more deeply after a visit to Italy some years ago when I saw olive trees for the first time. I found them a lovely element in the landscape, a gentle presence both light and strong.
