He Sings With Us

A Reflection on the Psalm for May 9th, 2021:
Sixth Sunday of Easter

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Psalm 98

R. The Lord has revealed his victory in the sight of the nations.

O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things. His right hand and his holy arm have brought him victory. 

R. The Lord has revealed his victory in the sight of the nations.

The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. 

R. The Lord has revealed his victory in the sight of the nations.

All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. 
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R. The Lord has revealed his victory in the sight of the nations.

Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

Break forth into joyous song — the Lord has revealed His victory! As a person whose life was soaked in music from the womb, I seldom need an invitation or exhortation to break into song. But a song of victory? A tough ask some days. I always have a song in my heart, but some days it’s a lament, not a victory song.


The world is unjust. There is so much suffering, need, and death. The pandemic is the rotten cherry on the top of this dumpster fire. The song the world seems to be singing most days is the just a beating drum driving us towards selfishness, cruelty, and violence. That song is as old as sin itself, passed on from generation to generation. The temptation to be for ourselves. The drive to be in control. The desire to possess everything. Like a lullaby passed on through the generations, this song follows us from cradle to grave. That song is a song that feels like victory — the celebration of humanity’s relentless spirit. We are capable of anything we put our minds to, goes the chorus, so long as we’re willing to accept the collateral damage. We can have humanity’s peace on earth, so long as we accept the trials of war. We can have control, so long as we accept that others will lose their freedom. We can have everything we desire, so long as we accept the poverty and suffering of others. So, the beat drones on. My lament is in many ways a protest song to that unrelenting rhythm. I mourn my own brokenness and the brokenness of the world.


Our lament is important. Lament acknowledges our hurt and the hurt we have caused others. Our lament is a cry out to the Lord for salvation for ourselves and the world. Jesus in His Incarnation and earthly life came to sing this song of lament with us. He experienced our grief and hurt and the weight of all of our sin. But He didn’t stay in the lament, he transformed it through His life, death, and resurrection. He answers our lament with the song that stretches out before time itself — the song of His victory. When God comes to sing victory over us, we are invited to join in that song with Him. His song of victory is healing because it brings within it the promise that He is steadfast and faithful to us and will not leave us at the mercy of our worst impulses. The beating drum doesn’t define us because we don’t belong to our sin, we belong to our God who saves us.


When God invites us to sing this new song with Him, it’s because He has made it possible for us to sing that song in truth. Our hope rests on Jesus, who first sang our lament with us. Just as He sang the lament with us, we can now sing the victory song with Him.




Stephanie Potter

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