“My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and make melody.”

Psalm 57 was written in a cave. A cave. I can barely summon the energy to write something after a few sips of coffee and David is over there writing with charcoal and ash in the cold dim light of a hiding spot. Saul is looking for him. Soldiers and others are searching for him to take his life. So, David does what anyone would do in this situation: He hides in a cave and starts singing.

Right? That’s what we’d do?

Seriously, David’s faith is astounding to me. It’s no wonder God chooses David’s line bears Jesus—the hearts in that family are solid. The ability to make music while hiding for one’s life, or to even hum softly, is baffling to me. Most of the time when things aren’t going well, I don’t feel like making music, I feel like breaking things (figuratively…and sometimes literally). This psalm is another reminder of faith during hardship; of not breaking but praising.

God is always there.

I yearn for a closer relationship with God every day. A deepening. I am not the same man I was ten years ago, and I won’t be ten years from now; my faith grows daily. As does yours, whether you notice or not. Through the acts of prayer, reading scripture, giving alms, and/or simply showing up on Sundays, faith grows. Many of us find ourselves in a proverbial cave at times, however. What we do in that darkness defines who we are as Christians, believers in a God who not only celebrates joys with us but also holds us while we mourn. When we’re afraid. When we’re lonely. When we’re questioning whether He’s even listening…

God is always there.

God is there in the darkness and in the light. God hears our lamentations; God dances to our voices when we make a joyful noise. The thought of that alone makes my heart sing. I hope you know how beloved you are when you’re in ‘the cave’. I hope you’ll remind me when you see me in there. And I hope we watch out for one another in each of those times. Let’s remember the words of Psalm 57 when we’re in the cave and when we’re dancing in the streets of joy.

God is always there.

Faithfully,

Fr. Sean+