No Sign of Action

Meaning in Psalm 83

by Alfred D. Byrd

SLEEPING? Sometimes, we fear that God is.
No sign of hearing, no sign of action—
Troubled, we struggle with faith and with doubt.
We yearn for a sign, but must live on hope—
A hope that's mocked by those of the world.
When we look around, we stare at strangers
Posing a threat to the ways we've held.
We hear a babble, we face rejection—
Nothing seems certain to us any more.
The rumors of war that come fast and thick
Invade our homes and batter our ears.
A fist has been raised; a voice cries out,
"Bring death to those who say, 'We're chosen'!
Felons like them deserve no mercy.
Conquer their land and make it your own!"

It's easy for us to shout at God,
"Destroy the ones who'd kill Your people!"
Justice has said, "An eye for an eye."
The ones who draw a sword should perish,
Gutted by what they'd meant for gutting.
"Set them afire, our God!" we might cry.
"Let them burn to a crisp and be forgotten!
Make them like leaves that fall in autumn!
Riding the wind, they'll fly from our sight."
Our God understands the heart within us.
Anger and wrath are parts of us all.
To pray for payback is what we do.

What's harder, but best, in the sight of God
Is a way that tells us, "Do good to your foes!"
The ones who hate us — the ones we fear—
Are just like us in the eyes of the One.
Before we heard the voice of our Friend,
We wandered in darkness and hated the light.
Let one who's been saved not turn up one's nose
At ones who still live in the jaws of death.
Let us pray for God to send our foes
The light that opens one's eyes to the truth.
Let's speak of the light in the midst of darkness.
Setting aside our doubt and our fear,
Let us greet our foes with acts of love.
The One Who saved us from darkness and death
Can turn a will of war into peace.
The peace that lasts — the peace that is real—
Arises from hearts that have learned to see
All persons as kin united by God
And God alone as the source of life.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.