The Winners Take It All

A Reflection on the Psalm for July 17th, 2022:
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

---

Psalm 15
​
R. O Lord, who may abide in your tent?

Whoever walks blamelessly, and does what is right,
and speaks the truth from their heart;
whoever does not slander with their tongue.

R. O Lord, who may abide in your tent?

Whoever does no evil to a friend,
nor takes up a reproach against a neighbour;
in whose eyes the wicked one is despised,
but who honours those who fear the Lord.

R. O Lord, who may abide in your tent?

Whoever stands by their oath even to their hurt;
who does not lend money at interest,
and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
One who does these things shall never be moved.

R. O Lord, who may abide in your tent?

O Lord, who may abide in your tent?


Recently, in prayer, I had the distinct sense that God doesn’t pick favourites. 
​

Unfortunately, though, we as people are prone to do so. To be fair, I acknowledge that it certainly is tempting to want to be on a great team. I am also tempted to want to have the best player on my team; and, if I’m honest, it’s tempting to want to be the best player. But when we judge ourselves according to the world, it’s pretty easy to become discouraged in comparison with others. I recently read a quote from Brené Brown’s book Braving the Wilderness: “Stop walking through the world looking for confirmation that you don’t belong. You will always find it because you’ve made that your mission.” 


The truth is, God wants us all to win the game. The tricky thing to remember is that the “game” is not a competition of good looks, intelligence, popularity, bank accounts, or even righteousness. If we choose to see it, in God we are already clothed in “the garments of salvation” and covered in “the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10).


If I’m going to play a game and encourage others to join my team, I want it to be a competition of virtue. Who can have the most faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance? This psalm gives us an idea of how difficult it is to compete in this game. As long as people see life and the world as a different kind of competition, it’s not surprising that they would see someone trying to be virtuous and at least question their motives, if not hate and condemn them outright. Thank you, Jesus, for your life and death.


A competition of virtue means we are running to be the first to help another get a leg up. We celebrate when someone gets there before us and join in to lift them even higher! The truth is, there is joy and belonging in virtue, and the more we do it, and do it together, the easier it will be.


After all, “For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations” (Isaiah 61:11).


O Lord, may we all abide in Your tent.




Lindsay Elford

---