What Do We Find Comforting, and Why?

Something I've observed through this crisis, something obvious, is life is extremely hard when we lose, or lose access to, those things that make us comfortable. It doesn't matter what it is. When we lose it, it affects us deeply and has impact not only on us, but those around us, as we are knocked off our game. We are creatures of habit and routine, and I can make the case right now, there is a strong level of discomfort in almost all of us in one way or another.

I cannot help but wonder though, if we are craving, maybe even indeed pursuing, a completely understandable, and yet totally mistaken goal of all of this, whether it's longing, pining or craving for what provided us comfort to come back. Maybe instead, we should allow ourselves to explore what does bring us comfort?

Today's reflections come out of a quick survey of one of the most well known of all scriptures, Psalm 23. I'll be reading today from the King James version.

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparast a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

First thing I think we need to look at as we revisit these very familiar words is that this is the hands down most requested scripture when it comes to doing funerals in the over 20 years I've been doing them. I wonder though, if maybe this current crisis gives us a chance to ask ourselves if the Lord truly is our shepherd. And if because the Lord is our shepherd we shall not want. Do we truly not want?

Maybe this is a chance for us to do an examination of conscience and wrestle with these things. In a time where it seems we can be at our wit's end for whatever reason, as a result of this crisis, do we truly seek the Lord to restore our souls, or do we focus instead on those things that we do not have and find ourselves in turmoil because of the uncertainty? Maybe this is a time for us to inquire as to the state of our soul and what might be needed for us to make room for the Lord to restore our soul.

The last line of this great Psalm is something we must keep in mind to help keep us grounded in the midst of all this turmoil. With the good shepherd leading our way, do we do indeed find goodness and mercy following us all the days of our lives. For goodness and mercy is found not in circumstance, but in Christ's abiding presence with us now and always.

Let me just say as we wrap up, many of us are just a little over a month into the massive disruption that has invaded our lives due to the coronavirus pandemic. While we are indeed looking forward to, even aching for, the day when so many of these restrictions are lifted, let us not miss the chance to ponder these timeless words of comfort and engage in what may be a most needed and most welcome chance to examine our conscience so that we may not only echo the Psalmist words with our lips, but manifest them in all of our life.