Sherry Sterling

Dear friends,

Have you ever been thrown under the bus by a person that you trusted? Or been spoken poorly about by others?

I recently watched a series about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. They gave their own account of meeting, courting, marrying, integrating lives within the royal family, then leaving it altogether. I know, I’m late to the story, but it’s really a timeless one, isn’t it? Not the fairytale story about meeting a prince or a fair maiden and falling in love. Rather the story about being a target for others’ scapegoating, while seeking protection and belonging.

Harry and Meghan lived through bullying on many levels. They talked about how the paparazzi hounded them, driven to make money off their images, to supply the hungry public with tabloid cover stories. They revealed how the royal family competed to get good press so their favorite charities would be better supported. They debunked fabricated stories that wove falsehoods and slandered Meghan’s character. They shared their hurt that the royal family didn’t offer the protection from negative press that they’d promised. And how their desire for belonging was not returned. And how their natural and proven alignment with the royal family’s stated purpose of service was ignored. Or maybe even envied.

The Psalms for today, Psalm 70 and 71, describe the experience of being targeted by others’ ill will, and seeking protection and belonging in God:

The writer of Psalm 70 implored, “Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me,” and “You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!”

Psalm 71 starts: “In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.” And later, “O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed; let those who seek to hurt me be covered with scorn and disgrace.”

Isn’t it such a human response to want to toss the hot potato of shame and hurt off of ourselves and back onto the person who lobbed it in our direction? Is it possible to seek God’s help and protection for both ourselves and our tormentor? I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t come naturally to me. For that, I truly need God’s help.

Peace and love,

—Sherry