Cause out on the edge of darkness,
there rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country,
come take me home again.
—Cat Stevens
There is no king that can be saved by a mighty army,
a strong man is not delivered by his great strength.
—Psalm 33:16
Master of the universe, provider of us all,
the psalmist tells us that you sit on the edge of heaven
watching and seeing us.
You, who form the hearts of all of us,
sit on your perch and “consider everything we do.”
Frankly, there are times when it must be boring,
when the tedium of human existence must be a drag,
as we focus on the trivial details of life that have
little eternal consequence.
And there must also be times when it is all you can do
to keep from averting your gaze
at the evil, the violence, the pain, and the suffering
inflicted at the hands of brother against brother.
But there, I hope, that there are times like this week,
times when you, just like all of us tuned to the Internet on Al Jazeera,
watch in wonder as your creatures risk their lives in pursuit of peace.
We watched together with wonder and men and women
gathered in Tahrir Square to proclaim that oppression
could no longer be tolerated,
that tyranny at the hands of the few,
was acceptable to the freedom of the many.
They did this not through violence,
although the oppressors did their best to inject mayhem into the proceedings,
but through the simple act of gathering to be heard.
As I sit here this morning, we don’t know how things will work out.
The man who thinks he’s in charge, the symbol of what’s wrong in Egypt
has not yet capitulated, and the transition from autocracy to democracy
rarely comes easily.
And yet, we remember that NO king is saved by the size of his army,
and that no warrior escapes by his great strength.
No, your eyes are not on the despot but rather on
those who fear you, for you are the great deliverer.
So maker of all things,
be with those folks in Tahrir Square.
Bless them, as you bless all peacemakers,
knowing that they bring forth a small slice of Shalom
on behalf of all the people of Egypt.
We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and shield.
In him our hearts rejoice for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.
—Psalm 33: 20-22
Only Wonder Understands 