Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18 (Lectionary Translation)
1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; “
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.
2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *
stir up your strength and come to help us.
3 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
4 O Lord God of hosts, *
how long will you be angered
despite the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears; *
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.
6 You have made us the derision of our neighbors, *
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
16 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, *
the son of man you have made so strong for yourself.
17 And so will we never turn away from you; *
give us life, that we may call upon your Name.
18 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
History and ‘Ourstory’
What is the difference between “history” and “story?” Both are the same in Greek – historia. In English, though, they almost seem opposites: isn’t “history” mostly fact, and “story” mostly fiction? The dilemma posed by this question underlies every commentary on the Bible, and underlies our biblical theologies too. What is “fundamentalism” if not an ironbound conviction that “my fact” is truer than “your fiction,” and that truth can be measured only with my factual yard-stick!
An old Jewish proverb says that “a story is truer than the truth,” and the Bible is proof of that. “Narrative theology” is one way of understanding this paradox: fiction is imbued with truth, because human beings are story-tellers by nature, and nature does not lie. The Bible is no exception. Genesis and the Book of Revelation are certainly as “fictional” as they are “factual,” and truth is on every page. For narrative theology, the abiding truth of scripture is not in “facts,” but in the meaningful relationships between and among the characters. These characters are “living legends” in the best sense, whether they live in history – like King David – or in imagination – like the cherubim supporting the divine throne.
Psalm 80 has plenty of references to biblical history. Israel is represented by familiar characters like Joseph, Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. In this psalm, when surrounded by enemies and beset by afflictions, the people turn to their divine “Shepherd” for strength and life. There is historical inspiration here.
The power of the psalm goes deeper, though, when we consider how this “sacred history” of long ago finds meaning in stories of personal vocation. Christian interpreters find Jesus presaged in this psalm. “The man of your right hand” is a Hebrew idiom meaning someone close to you whom you trust, and “Son of Man” (that is, “Human Being” - ben-adam) was one of Jesus’ favorite ways of speaking of himself. What we are invited to remember is that this verse is also about you and me, as “characters” in our own sacred story. Each and every one of us is a “child of Adam and Eve,” a human being of infinite worth. Each of us embodies a spiritual narrative that – in its own way, in the present moment – is more radiant and inspiring than all the dramas of history.
Henry R. Carse - November 29, 2020