One of the readings for yesterday’s online service at All Saints Anglican was Psalm 130. It’s part of group of psalms in the Bible called “A song of Ascents” or, “A Song of Degrees”. John I. Durham (Broadman Commentary, Vol.4) believes these psalms were likely songs of pilgrimage as the believers were going up to Jerusalem. He describes Psalm 130 as a song of lamentation and hope. In the Book of Common Prayer, it’s usual to introduce the psalms with the first two words of the Latin Vulgate edition; thus the title of this blog, “De Profundis” or “From the Depths.” Given our present situation in the midst of this serious world-wide threat of the Covid 19 Virus, “De Profundis”, is an accurate description of where we stand. Noted scholar, Fr. Raymond E. Brown states that “De Profundis”, suggests themes of death, chaos and the nether world (Jerome biblical Commentary, Psalms, p.599).

The lamenting psalmist cries out to God and begs to be heard. It is a cry, a plea for mercy. Yet the writer is also conscious of personal sin and of membership in that most inclusive club on earth, broken humanity. Note the change of prepositions in the first few verses from “my” to “our”. However, in this time of lament, the song drips with hope. Yes, our sins are not hidden from God, but with Him there is forgiveness. The psalmist speaks of waiting for the Lord, and hoping in Him; waiting like watchers looking for the dawn. And that hope is not defective because with the Lord there is “…steadfast love” and “…plentiful redemption.” (ESV).

I believe there is something for us all here. John I Durham (Broadman,Vol 4, p.431) speaks of four principles in this psalm that ascend in a kind of mounting rarity: personal need; accepted responsibility for that need; unquestioning trust in God concerning this need, and an unashamed declaration of this trust and its benefits. Why are these principles like steps, rising (or falling) in increasing scarecity? Each of them seems to demand a growing and greater personal commitment.

In this difficult time when a widespread virus is causing many deaths and global upheaval, we are being called as the descendant believers of this Psalmist to cry out to God for mercy, to recognize our own sin, frailty and complicity in this broken world, yet to trust in God’s steadfast love and make that trust known.