Sean Major-Campbell | Hear O Lord, when I cry aloud

Psalm 27 is a gift for this second Sunday in Lent. In our times, we need a celebration of light even amid the darkness. In this time of tribulation for many, the psalmist reminds us that it is okay to say difficult things to God, on the walk of faith: “Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!” (Psalm 27:9)

Some believers give the impression that once you are a Christian, you will always be in seventh heaven and bliss is automatic. This is not true. Christians, like any other human being, also experience doubt, fear, depression, and even dismay at times. This year, for various reasons, has presented with a foreboding for many. Many will find that even their religious faith feels particularly challenged in 2025 and beyond.

The timeless psalms remind us of the universal struggles with meaning, purpose, and direction. People of religious faith have always lived with challenging questions and sometimes felt abandoned by God. Beware of some Christians who are quick to give the impression that if you are a good Christian, then you will always feel wonderful and great on the journey of faith.

In wisdom, the writer of Psalm 27 calls out to God: “Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek.” The focus is God. Lent presents us with yet another opportunity to turn our eyes upon Jesus. And as the song writer says, “look full in his wonderful face.” This is not a physical focus.

Since some scholars have suggested that Psalm 27 is a combination of two psalms with one sounding a high note of praise and the other a low note of pain and darkness, I have deliberately delayed a reflection on the light that the Psalmist here also understands God to be.

Lent reminds us that the wilderness of life’s challenges is also a universal reality. The believer also cries out, “Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.” Even Jesus knew the experience of adversaries and false witnesses rising up against Him.

It is interesting to note that Psalm 27 may even be one psalm that profoundly presents the complex nature of the life of faith. On the one hand it starts out with the words, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh – my adversaries and foes – they shall stumble and fall.” However, the ending of the psalm brings this conversation with self and God, together: “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

Maybe you need this timely reminder to wait for the Lord. Isaiah reminds us that “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength …” I have found that even when I do not have all the answers (and I never will), waiting on God makes a world of difference. “Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident. One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.”

Two things I would invite us to ponder on the second Sunday in Lent.

1. Seeking God’s face is an invitation to go deeper within Christian contemplation.

2. God’s temple is always more than the place of corporate worship. It is also that inner space of self where the Holy Spirit intercedes with our spirit. (I like the ancient tradition of the Bhagavad Gita to capitalise the letter “S” for self. It is a way of acknowledging that the Atman or true self or divine self is within.)

Psalm 27 gives us tools for resistance and resilience in a world marked by attacks on the righteous. Those who are humble in spirit are often at risk of being bullied by the crude, uncouth, and ugly elements in the world. Through meditation, one may develop strength of character with a firmer resolve for patience and compassion with the human condition.

You or someone you know may be going through a wilderness of challenges. The temptation to give up is real. The collect for the second Sunday in Lent is timely even as it is instructive: “O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” ( Book of Common Prayer)

Fr Sean Major-Campbell is an Anglican priest and advocate for human rights and dignity. Please send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and seanmajorcampbell@yahoo.com.