“I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and for evermore.” (Psalm 121, A Song of Ascents)
Traveling through Central and Southwest Virginia last week, I was reminded of the majesty and beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the springtime. I lifted my eyes to the hills again, and I witnessed new life. Bradford pear trees are beginning to bloom. Green shoots of daffodils are pushing their way upward from the dark earth. Springtime is upon us, and a new season calls out a new song.
Psalm 121 is called, “a song of ascents.” It was a “road song,” if you will. A song sung by the Hebrew people as they made their may to Jerusalem to ascend the temple steps during pilgrim festivals. We too find ourselves on a journey. We lift our eyes to the hills, and the song that I am hearing from ministers and faithful laity is a song of ascents. We are ready to take the high road. We are ready to do missions. We are ready to embrace new leaders. We are ready to break God’s kingdom into our present moment. We are ready. Keeping singing, because God is listening, and new life is springing up all around us.
Grace and Peace,
Rob Fox
Field Coordinator, CBF Virginia