How can I sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?A cry from Psalm 137, written in a time most of the nation of Judah, with its capital at Jerusalem had been taken into an exile in Babylon. Not all the people were taken of course – there was a remnant of the Southern Kingdom left. Although the people didn’t go willingly, not everyone wanted to return when it became possible. They were those who had discovered how to sing the Lord’s song, not in a strange land, but in a new land.They were surprised that the singing of their cherished song sounded different, but felt the same. What they brought with them about the worship of God was still the same and, at the same time, new.They remembered what they had been taught but what really surprised them was that they discovered their God in a strange land. Not just in Judah, not just in Jerusalem but everywhere. ‘How can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?’, became ‘How can we sing the Lord’s song in a new land?’Like those in Exile, we have all been navigating a ‘strange land’. And we are continually surprised by what we are learning. When things eventually settle into a new normal will we just go back to singing the old songs in the old ways? Or will what has surprised us stay with us and inspire us to sing the Lord’s song in new ways in our new land?
A new place of worship is set to be built in Berlin that will bring together Christians, Jews and Muslims under one roof.It will be called the House of One and the foundation stone will be laid on May 27. The building will cost £52m and will incorporate a church, a mosque and a synagogue as well as a central meeting space.It is a remarkable demonstration of interfaith unity in a part of the old East Berlin where the former Communist regime attempted to outlaw religion. In fact, the site for development is the former St Peter's Church in Petriplatz which was damaged in the Second World War and demolished in 1964 by the GDR authorities.When the foundations of the former church were uncovered more than a decade ago thoughts turned to creating a memorial or building a new church on the site. But Richard Stolte, a Christian theologian who helped start the project explained: "The idea is pretty simple. We wanted to build a house of prayer and learning where these three religions could co-exist while each retaining their own identity."Andreas Nachkam, a rabbi who is turning the vision into reality in partnership with a pastor and imam, added: "There are many ways to God and each is a good way. In the House of One, Christians, Muslims and Jews would worship separately but would visit each other for religious holidays, commemorations and celebrations."It is more than a symbol. It is the start of a new era where we show there is no hate between us."
As you drive into the village where my eldest daughter lives there is a sign that says “Slow! Ducks”. I often ask my grandchildren why the ducks in their village are slow, to which I get roundly informed: “no grandad - it’s you that needs to slow down, not the ducks!”I don’t know about you, but this period of lockdown has felt like it has been the most tiring and hardest to endure. It is almost as if we have had to exert more effort just to maintain the routine of life. So as the days lengthen, the skies clear, the vaccine rolls out and we have a set of dates out of lockdown, it is natural to want to speed up and accelerate towards the next season. Like the psalmist in Psalm 27, as we look towards June 21 and the relaxing of all restrictions, many of us will be feeling a renewed confidence that we will very soon be seeing “….the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” v13. But the encouragement of the psalmist is not to rush and race to the destination, to Jerusalem the “land of the living”, but instead to slow down and focus on the journey, to “….be strong and take heart, wait for the Lord” (v14). As Mathew Henry summarises it so well “those that walk by faith in the goodness of the Lord, shall in due time walk in the sight of that goodness”. So perhaps rather than rushing ahead and jumping into planning for a new season of increased freedom and familiarity that runs the risk of going back to how things were, in line with our Lenten studies, now is a time to be actively waiting on God and seeking his face about the new things he has planned. If you are like me, who likes to get on with planning and preparation, doing that might feel counter intuitive. But a bit like the Slow Ducks sign we need to respond in a different way and recognise as my grandchildren pointed out - “No Grandad it’s you that needs to slow down” …..and wait…on God! <span style="font-size: 1rem; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"></span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Peter Coles</span>
