Psalm 85 has long been linked to Advent. Saint Augustine makes clear why. Commenting on verse 7Show us thy steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us thy salvationthe African bishop explains that the word salvation simply means Christ: Grant us your Christ, let us know your Christ, let us see your Christ. Its a bold and direct identification: When the psalmist desires salvation, he is longing for Christ.
Lets take Augustines interpretive movesalvation equals Christas our starting point. How do we make sense of the rest of the psalm if Christ is the salvation for which we long?
The psalms context is national calamity, namely, exile to Babylon. The return in 539 b.c. yielded a new set of difficultiesenemies at the gate and harvests that failed. The Promised Land wasnt the paradisal salvation that people had longed for.
Two things stand out. First, the psalmist links these perduring troubles with sin (and their end with forgiveness of sin). Second, he links Judahs return to the return of God himself. The result is a poem that pines for salvations advent in Christ.
The first point is obnoxious to us. The psalmist views exile as the result of sin. The first three verses depict the returns from captivity as forgiveness of sin:
We could translate the first verse slightly more literally as thou didst return (shuv) the captivity of Jacob. In other words, God has returned his people from exilesomething directly tied to divine pardon. The implication is clear: Exile itself resulted from divine anger.
Back in the Promised Land, the psalmist asks God to relieve the difficult new situation and turn around his peoples plight. He makes this plea in the next section (85:47): Restore (shuv) us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us. Gods people may have returned from Babylon, but the new disasters are evidence of sin, while forgiveness would lead to a greater and deeper (re)turning to him.
The psalmists quid pro quo theologythe result, likely, of extended reflection upon books such as Deuteronomy and Jeremiahis disturbing to us. We dont typically share the poets confident attribution of calamity to sin. We tend to prefer Voltaires mockery of those who linked the 1755 Lisbon earthquake to divine judgment. Lisbon is in ruins, while in Paris they dance, exclaimed Voltaire. Surely, the Parisians werent any godlier than the inhabitants of Lisbon, were they?
The reflexive Voltairean response, also among Christians, is a curious one. Why are we loath to acknowledge a link between sin and disaster? Deuteronomic covenant theology is painfully direct in its application of covenant promises and curses to the turning (shuv) of Gods people. If you return (shuv), announces Jeremiah, I will restore (shuv) you (Jer. 15:19). Return from exile is predicated upon return from sin.
The same theology is at work in Psalm 85. The return from Babylon had signaled God turning (shuv) from his hot anger (Ps. 85:3), and the psalmist pleads for God to do so again: Wilt thou not revive us again (shuv), that thy people may rejoice in thee? (85:6). God will turn only ifthis last word signaling the dreaded Deuteronomic conditionGods people, too, will turn.
Admittedly, we should avoid simplistic one-to-one connections between sin and calamity. In John 9, the disciples ask, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesuss response plainly rejects his disciples assumption of a link between sin and blindness: It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. Jesuss disciples wrongly absolutize Deuteronomic theology. Disaster is not always the direct outcome of divine judgment; and especially where it concerns the suffering of others, we do well to keep watch over the door of our lips (cf. Ps. 141:3).
Still, Psalm 85 (and its Deuteronomic background) teach us at least this: There would be no calamity without sin. There would be no Lisbon earthquake, no Hurricane Katrina, and no coronavirus without sin. Whatever we may say about the connection between natural and moral evil in each of these cases, we cannot negate the link. Whenever the chattering classes get their dander up because of someone linking calamity and sin, this is a sure sign of a societal lapse into hedonism.
The beauty of Psalm 85as a psalm of Adventis that it not only makes Gods turning to us conditional upon our turning to him, but it also makes our turning to God conditional upon his turning to us. Turning as a purely natural human accomplishment would be an impossibility. The psalm, therefore, explains that our turning to God and Gods turning to us coincide. They are one and the same, for they occur in salvationwhich is to say with Augustine: They occur in the God-man, in Christ himself.
We see Gods turning in Christ nowhere more clearly than in the psalms last stanza:
Goodness comes from above as well as below. It is as if heaven itself turns down to the earth, while simultaneously, the earth turns up to the sky. The kiss of righteousness and peace is the Advent kiss of the hypostatic union of God and man.
Displacements and disasters cannot be rationally explained. But the psalmist does link our hardships to our moral failings and demands that we reflect upon them in view of the hardships we face.
Our response to calamities should mirror that of the psalmist: He centers it on turning, both human (repentance) and divine (forgiveness). He assures us that the two are one in the mystery of Adventin the divine-human Savior himself. In Advent we reignite our longing for God and man to turn to each other and so to obtain salvation.
Hans Boersma is the Saint Benedict Servants of Christ Professor in Ascetical Theology at Nashotah House Theological Seminary.
First Thingsdepends on its subscribers and supporters. Join the conversation and make a contribution today.
Clickhereto make a donation.
Clickhereto subscribe toFirst Things.
Originally posted here:
Turning from Calamity | Hans Boersma - First Things
- 10 best Reverse 1999 Arcanists to use and build - Sportskeeda - November 20th, 2023 [November 20th, 2023]
- The tightrope of 'Cabaret' - The Source - Washington University in St ... - Washington University in St. Louis - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Peter Schlesinger's Hedonistic Photos of Artists in 1970s Paris - AnOther Magazine - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Jonathan Baileys Long-Awaited New Drama Is Almost Upon Us Here's The Lowdown On Fellow Travelers - Yahoo Sport Australia - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Surusinghe 'Brake Fluid' EP review: every second hits as hard as a ... - NME - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Reformation Taps Model and Actress Camille Rowe for Holiday ... - Sourcing Journal - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Latest additions to the Halloween horror movie canon - Two Row Times - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Towa Bird Shares New Single And Video 'Drain Me!' - uDiscover Music - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- We Asked AI to Rewrite the Eagles Hit "Hotel California" about ... - American Songwriter - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- There's no such thing as normal mental health - The Medium - The Medium - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Use your voice, Luke: How Mark Hamill's anti-Jedi mind tricks gave ... - Salon - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Realms Of Ruin Finally Fixes A Major Problem With Warhammer ... - TheGamer - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Eric Nam and SG Lewis on Feeling Lonely and Getting Healthy - Interview - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Tom Ford Waxes Nostalgic and Prada Plays the Slime Card - The New York Times - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- September Horoscopes - The New Paltz Oracle - SUNY The New Paltz Oracle - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Attracting Gen Z Workers and Future Leaders to Automotive - Ward's Auto - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- C Pam Zhang on Relishing Pleasure, Observing Billionaires, and ... - Vanity Fair - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Paramount+: new shows and films streaming in October 2023 - ScreenHub - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- At 2nd Debate, Rivals Laud Reagan, Trump Dances on His Grave - TIME - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Business is Key to Attaining Justice and Peace in the World - denvercatholic.org - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- San Antonio filmmaker recalls time he recorded Jimmy Buffett ... - San Antonio Current - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- The Will and Intensity of Marisol - frieze.com - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- All Is (Boomer) Vanity - The American Conservative - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Slayyyter: STARFUCKER review - takes you on one hell of a night ... - The Line of Best Fit - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- 10 Best Modern Movies Set in the 1990s - MovieWeb - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Condiments & sauces category propelled by natural colors and ... - Food Ingredients First - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Dumb Money director reveals fundamental difference with Wolf of ... - Dexerto - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- How Janet Jackson, Lost in Translation, and Melbourne nights inspired Troye Sivan's new album - Yahoo Eurosport UK - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Outside the Box: Is Russell Brand a Victim of Groupie Culture? - Fair Observer - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Russia Lauds North Korea's 'Square-Headed Dude' and His Pauper ... - Center for European Policy Analysis - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Where to Watch and Stream 'Saw X': Showtimes - Collider - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Why I believe the question God, what is your will for my life? belies ... - Patheos - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Pleasure in the age of panic - Cherwell Online - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Dominique Larose: Northern Ballet's first soloist on bringing The ... - Luxury London - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Drew Barrymore reveals Kate Bosworth sent her flowers after ex Justin Long visited her show - Yahoo Entertainment - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Chris Holmes: I'm overlooked, sure. When I was in W.A.S.P., I was ... - Guitar World - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Sophie Ellis-Bextor on if she'd ever do Eurovision and her ... - NME - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- 10 Movies like The Social Network you must watch - Ready Steady Cut - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- The eternal paradox, and 'Quantum Criminals,' of Steely Dan - Wisconsin Public Radio - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Five Classic SF Novels Featuring Advanced Body Modifications - tor.com - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- From queer Westerns to Wes Anderson Here are HUNGER's most ... - Hunger TV - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- WGSN, Coloro Crown Moody Navy Alternative as 2025 Color of the Year - Yahoo Life - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- Woo Girl Nails Life Balance For First Time Ever With Piss Up Friday ... - The Betoota Advocate - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- Biden's Corruption Is What The Media Hoped For Trump - The Federalist - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- Brandon Cronenberg Dives into the Deep End - FilmInk - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- The 10 Best Movies of 1996, Ranked - Collider - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- WFA: The Shits - Everything Is Noise - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- 10 Things You Must Do On Your First Hedo Trip - Vacation Parties - January 23rd, 2023 [January 23rd, 2023]
- Epicurus | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - January 23rd, 2023 [January 23rd, 2023]
- An All-Nude Vacation With My Boyfriend Taught Me a Ton ... - SELF - January 19th, 2023 [January 19th, 2023]
- What to Expect at Hedonism | Hedonism II - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- HEDONISM II: HOTWIFING HEAVEN - Hedonism II - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- Disco - Wikipedia - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- Hedonism Resorts - Wikipedia - October 30th, 2022 [October 30th, 2022]
- What Is Hedonism? An Ethics Explainer by The Ethics Centre - October 21st, 2022 [October 21st, 2022]
- Eudaimonia - Wikipedia - October 21st, 2022 [October 21st, 2022]
- 'The White Lotus' season 2 trailer brims with love, murder and a whole lot of hedonism - Alternative Press - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Reconsidering the Good Life - Boston Review - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Alcoholic Drinks and the Spectre of Stagflation; A Wile E. - Euromonitor International - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- The Weeknd Brings Sex, Money, and Drugs to His New Series: The Idol - uDiscover Music - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- 7 of the Best Rock Bands of the '70s - American Songwriter - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV On The Radio, And More Featured In Meet Me In The Bathroom Trailer - uDiscover Music - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Is the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS the most extreme road car in history? - British GQ - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Charlies Good Tonight: Read an Exclusive Excerpt From the Authorized Biography of the Rolling Stones Late Drummer - Billboard - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Wreck cast on huge behind-the-scenes secret on BBC series: Can you imagine the chaos? - Express - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Four albums recorded in France and one song that should have been - The Connexion - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Twisted elegance: Janet Jacksons The Velvet Rope is a template for Black pop stars to embrace the darkness - TheGrio - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- On the futility of modern bureaucratic states - Catholic Culture - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Fall is the time towards the cranberry secure - DU Express - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- 1st October Weekend in Osijek Was Full of Life - Trust Us, Head On East - Total Croatia News - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- LSD, Dolly's and a Rolls Royce car chase: How Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones nearly came to blows - Far Out Magazine - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- I survived the sex, drugs, and misogyny of 90s Wall Street to make millions - New York Post - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- The Stars Advise: Dont Overdo It in Indulgence - astrosofa.com - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Procera rolls out vintage gins - The Spirits Business - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- How To Watch 'Hellraiser' In The UK: Horror Film Reboot Set To Terrify Audiences - Bustle - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Fresh blood brings new life to Interview with the Vampire - The Boston Globe - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Why do bankers love techno? - The Spectator - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Alice In Chains : Dirt - The heaviest grunge album at 30 | Treble - Treble - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- The simmering wickedness of Pentiment's dialogue is a delight - Eurogamer.net - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Gothic Gin Announced as Official Partner of Goodwood Revival - BevNET.com - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]