By Nigel Guthrie, Priest Vicar
One of the hymns which resonates most strongly with me as we come to the season of remembrance is ‘O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come’. It is by Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748) and is based on Psalm 90, which contrasts the eternal nature of God with the frailty and transitory nature of human life.
We may think that we live in especially turbulent times; and there is much that rightly concerns us. Political unrest in Europe has been very evident in the past weeks. The conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East are highly damaging and intractable. And South West Water have just told us that even in October there is a severe drought crisis – and the reservoirs were full in spring this year!
Drought and warfare were also undoubtedly realities for the writer of Psalm 90. Yet both they and Isaac Watts realised that alongside our real concerns and anxieties we should remember the everlasting nature and love of God. It is not that we should be untroubled by the horrors and challenges of human life but that that we should try to hold them in the broader perspective of God’s infinite power, and mercy.
The psalmist wrote:
‘Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us,
and as many years as we have seen evil.’ (Psalm 90 verses 14-15)
In times where bad news seems inescapable it is a vital message for us to hear. Yes, we should do whatever we can to oppose evil and promote good, but we should not forget the God who is beyond us and yet ever present.
From our house in Crediton we can see the hills towards Exeter in one direction and, on a clear day, the east side of Dartmoor. Perhaps that’s why the hymn especially speaks to me:
‘Before the hills in order stood, or earth received her frame,
From everlasting thou art God, to endless years the same.’
If you are feeling troubled by the present tragedies and shortcomings of our world why not spend some time reading Psalm 90 or the hymn of Isaac Watts, so that you may share in their profound and life-giving wisdom?