In the kind of church in which I grew up, a common question among Christians was “What is your favorite verse?” I always thought it was a pretty dumb question, because most people gave the same answers — and those that did not were usually trying to prove something. Like most things in a fundamentalist faith, questions and answers were about proving your allegiance, not about expressing or interrogating one’s experience of the world or God.
In the years since, I can’t say I’ve altogether warmed to the idea of a “favorite verse,” but I definitely believe there may be verses that carry us through seasons of life. These, however, are not likely to be verses like John 3:16, Romans 10:9, or others of the sort quoted by those posturing for belonging in my earlier life. Rather, the verses that carry us tend to be ones that resonate with our hardship and longing, echoing our heart’s desire and voicing what we often dare not speak.
For quite a while now, a verse that has carried me in this way has been Psalm 32:21. As translated by Robert Alter, it reads:
“Blessed is the LORD, for [the LORD] has done me wondrous kindness in a town under siege.”
The reason why this verse resonates with me matters less than whether it does with you. For many of our neighbors near and across this nation, I suspect the image of being a town under siege by a powerful, invading army feels apt. A siege is not just an attack, it is a gamble by the aggressor that their superior power and wealth cannot fail; all they need to do is wait and their enemies will surrender. To be under siege is to be surrounded, to have your resources and options limited, to have less power and wealth and fewer options.
But as both the scriptures and history tell us, sometimes a siege fails. Sometimes the town under siege withstands the siege, while the invading aggressor is forced to retreat. Sometimes the underdog wins the battle, even when the deck is stacked against them.
And when that happens — when the siege breaks and the aggressor retreats and the battle is won (at least for now) — a person of faith in God may find themselves taking a deep breath and being overwhelmed at the realization of all the “wondrous kindness” that “the LORD has done” them in a town under siege.”
Blessed is the Lord.
Pastor Michael