Sherry Sterling

Psalm 112: 1, 6-8

Praise the Lord.

Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
    who find great delight in his commands.

Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
    they will be remembered forever.

They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
    in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.

Dear friends,

You know how sometimes meaning gets lost in translation? Some languages have multiple words for what another language only has one.

Like the English word “snow”—the Inuit language has many words for the subtle varieties of frozen precipitation. And the English word “love”—the Greek language has multiple words for different types of relational love.

I ran into this limitation of language in today’s Psalm readings (Psalm 34 and 112), with the word “fear.”

Some English versions of the Old Testament of the Bible lose the Hebrew subtleties of variation of meaning. So, what is traditionally translated as Fear the Lord, when looked into the original Hebrew, does not mean “fear” like afraid, as in trembling with anxiety, but rather a healthy dose of respect and reverence.

Think of it: we have a direct line to the Divine. That is truly an awesome gift. And while we are invited to be quite familiar with the Maker of the Universe, this is the Maker of all that is! There is a difference between humans and God. And God gives us guidance in how to best be human, to protect our hearts, minds, and souls, and the hearts, minds, and souls of others.

And so, how do we respect and honor God?

I think of how we’d like to honor our elders, by spending time with them, seeking their counsel, listening to their wisdom, helping care for their affairs. Even more then, the God of the Universe.

Honoring God looks like spending time with Him. Seeking what God seeks. Listening to God’s wisdom. Learning what that is by reading the scriptures and by prayer and conversations with others who are also honing their hearts to God’s heart. And by doing the work God has given us to do.

We are fortunate to be part of a community that provides opportunities to gather and learn and serve together. In this new season of gathering, are you drawn to add your heart and voice and hands, and join with others’?

Peace and love,

—Sherry