From Kim Williams
First Congregational Church
Psalm 125
When the weather cools, for whatever reason, I’m never quite prepared for it. It happens exactly the same way every year here in Fresno—we’ll be cruising along at a flip-flops-and-light-sweater 72°, and then it’ll drop 15° overnight.
This is the time of year that I instinctively begin buying hot cocoa packets, and I make sure my Snuggie is always within arm’s reach in case I need a blanket—with sleeves! Even though the adjustment to wearing real shoes is rough, this is still my favorite part of all of the seasonal transitions. Every sip of tea is a little more warming, every warm cat that finds a lap is a little more appreciated, and every embrace becomes a human fortress against the chill.
In Psalm 125, God’s people are cared for, and it’s prayer asking that God will continue to do good to those who are good at heart. The imagery of the mountains that surround Jerusalem is an allegory for the way the Lord embraces and shields the faithful. Think about us here, in the San Joaquin Valley, mountains hugging us from every angle. On these foggy December mornings we can’t see the Sierra Nevadas, but we know they haven’t moved away from us. They are here, and they’ve always been here*. Same thing with the Lord. And just like the warmth and comfort we feel from our favorite hoodie sweatshirts, we are able to take that comfort in knowing that God is here with us.
Always.
So the Lord surrounds his people, from this time on and forevermore. Amen!
*Okay, so they’ve always been here as of like, 4 million years ago. We’re not gonna let a little science ruin the metaphor though, right?