Revision of “A Psalm For Our Time”

            In 2020, I wrote an essay that I feel is still crucial for Americans today, though our circumstances are vastly different. I titled it “A Psalm for Our Time.” I’m including it here

A Psalm for Our Time

“I’ve been given a book of psalms, selected and adapted from the Hebrew by Stephen Mitchell. I’ve been trying to remember to read from the book each night. I found this psalm particularly appropriate for us now.

I rejoiced when I heard them announce
	“The time of warfare is past.
No more will brother hate brother
	or violence have its way.
No more will they drown out God’s silence
	and Shut their hearts to his song.”

Pray for peace in the cities
	and harmony among the races.
May peace come to live on our streets
	and justice within our walls.
With all my heart I will pray
	that peace come to live among us,
For the sake of all earth’s people,
	I will do my utmost for peace.

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¹Stephen Mitchell, A Book of Psalms: Selected & Adapted from the Hebrew, New York: Harper Collings, 1993.

Two tumultuous, emotional elections have occurred since I wrote the first essay quoting this psalm. In the 2020 version of this essay, I suggested we as a nation needed to come together in unity. That did not happen in 2021. The losers in that election proceeded to disrupt the nation with frivolous lawsuits which were found without cause in 90%+ instances.

Once before, the nation faced a very divisive election. In 1860 Abraham Lincoln netted 1,866,452 votes. Stephen A. Douglas finished second in the popular vote with 1,382,713 votes, but he only received 12 electoral votes. John Breckinridge received 847,953 votes and obtained 72 electoral votes, almost all from southern states. A fourth candidate, John Bell, received 592,906 votes, obtaining 39 votes in the electoral college. Lincoln received only approximately 40% of the popular vote. The bitterness of that election led to the Civil War.

We are now in 2025. The need for us all–Republican, Democrat, Independent, and non-voters–is to unite. Speak peace to your neighbors, speak peace to your governmental representatives, speak reconciliation to your political opposites. Become leaders in this effort. “Pray for peace in the cities / and harmony among the races. / May peace come to live on our streets / and justice within our walls.” Remember, Peace will not come when injustice thrives.