Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Psalm 103:1
This is not, I think, the most remembered verse from Psalm 103; rather we are more familiar with "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love (verse 8)." For me, slow to anger, has always been a challenge as well as many of the other LORD-attributes mentioned in this Psalm. After reading the entire Psalm a few times, I realize that it is, in part, a reflection on how understanding and forgiveness are two qualities we can strive for if we want to live in the LORD's image.
It's very hard to have a long fuse and to forgive those who have hurt us, our families or even our society. I've heard it said many times that forgiving those who hurt you really doesn't do them as much good as it does you—that it sets you free from anger and resentments that chew away at your time and soul, really. When asked why they forgave the man who shot up their school and subsequently helped his family, the Amish said that it was to help their own community heal and move on. This has always struck me as superior humanity, but one which I probably couldn't attain. I vehemently oppose the death penalty, but I'm not sure I could get much beyond that toward honest forgiveness.
I realize I have not really addressed verse 1 of this Psalm. It didn't spark anything in me, but I figure it put me on the path to read the entire Psalm in order to think about anger and holding on to grudges. For me, that is work worth doing and doing again. Thinking both individually and globally, there is a lot to forgive against those who trespaf against us (see the Lord's Prayer tablet on the north wall of St. James') and we should all, at the very least, probably try to let go of old resentments and get on with this great life.
Praise the LORD, my soul.
JoEllen Kelly
