Psalm 27

Year C - Lent² or Conviction²

February 21, 2016

Psalm 27

Listen to verse 2 by Norman Fischer in his recent book, Opening to You: Zen-Inspired Translations of the Psalms: 

When the narrow ones gather their strength to devour me
   It is they who stumble and fall

Contrast this with other translations that run: “When evildoers come at me trying to devour my flesh—it’s they, my foes and my enemies, who stumble and fall!”

To do evil, the focus needs to always narrow to a bright line that cannot be crossed. Now, what I do is good and what you do is reprehensible.  Now, “evildoers” can claim all they do is done to defeat EVIL. No one appears more upright than evildoers who defend one narrow value over all others.

The imagery of “narrowness” inexorably leads to toppling over from a lack of a firm foundation, a wide base. Here the “Narrow Way” is not a helpful way for narrow is the way of Herod; wide is the way of Jesus. Remember this when you hear Matthew make a claim that narrow is the way that leads to life or Luke speaks of a narrow gate.