Scripture: Psalm 39:2-3 – “I was silent and still; I held my peace to no avail; my distress grew worse; my heart became hot within me. While I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue…” (NRSV)
Jesus told a parable about a corrupt judge and a widow who demanded justice. She kept pestering him and pestering him, until finally he granted her request just to shut her up. The point of the parable is that if a stubborn human will eventually yield to prayers for justice, then certainly a loving God will. “And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them.”
But this is easier said than done, because in many ways, it feels like our complaints do not get us anywhere. They annoy people or make them defensive. Those we complain against might marshal mighty forces to silence us to keep their own status or just to stop us from bothering them. Often, the one who is doing the complaining does so because they have no power or mechanism for their grievances to be redressed. All they do is make themselves miserable by trying not to feel miserable.
In such a world, we are instructed to wait, to keep our tongues, to pray for God’s justice. But while our minds tell us to be patient, our hearts are ready to explode. There are many issues in my life that infuriate me. I watch the news and cruelty and foolishness. I am angered by how those I love are being mistreated. I see what I believe to be the truths at play, and yet I feel powerless to effect any change. I feel that my cries will only alienate people or will do no good. And I am lucky because I have a platform for my pleas to be heard, something that very few people have.
I cry to God for justice, because I feel sometimes like I have nowhere else to turn. The psalmist of Psalm 39 expresses this feeling. They say that they will not speak ill of others. “I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue; I will keep a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence.” But the more they remain silent, the more they do the kind and loving thing, the more it eats at them until they are burning up inside. “While I mused, the fire burned.” The psalmist prays for God to take away the oppression that God seems to have willed for them. “I am silent; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it. … Turn your gaze away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more.”
The psalms often express the feelings that we would never say aloud. While the Bible teaches us to be good and to fight for justice, it also reminds us that living a life of virtue is difficult and frustrating and even miserable. Through our prayers, we not only ask for what we need, but we are also able to express our feelings in ways that might not be deemed acceptable by “polite society.” So, whenever you are overcome with anger, despair, or feelings of powerlessness remember that God is always there to listen to you and to be with you, even when you feel most alone.
Prayer: God, grant me justice and peace. Remove misfortune from me. And help me always to seek you in my time of need. Amen.
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