Tuesday, August 25, 2009

God's viral scan of my soul

I have many Bibles. Various translations and editions. No need to list them all. But there is only one translation that has me -- the King James version.

I love that Shakespearean English. I like calling God Thou. A lovely word expressing both intimacy and distance, an intoning and sounding of loving respect. Where would we be without our Maker, the one who is closer to us than our very breath?

The Bible cannot be understood unless it is read by the heart. Here is part of Psalm 139. It opens with an appreciative acknowledgment of God's viral scan of my soul.

O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

Thou knowest my downsitting and my uprising,
thou understandest my thought afar off.

Thou compassest my path and my lying down,
and art acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word in my tongue,
but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.

Thou hast beset me behind and before,
and laid thine hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

(Then the Psalm goes on to say that there is no escaping this viral scan, this thorough and loving search of one's innermost being.)

Whither shall I go from thy spirit?
or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:
if I make my bed in helll, behold, thou art there.

If I take the wings of the morning,
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Even there shall thy hand lead me,
and thy right hand shall hold me.

If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me;
even the night shall be light about me.

Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee;
but the night shineth as the day:
the darkness and the light
are both alike to thee.

For thou hast possessed my reins:
thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

I will praise thee;
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
marvellous are thy works;
and that my soul knoweth right well.

I appreciate (hold precious) this viral scan.
Through it I know who I am and what I am,
"for I am fearfully and wonderfully made . . .
and that my soul knoweth right well."

2 comments:

  1. Yes! I have loved Ps.139 for a long time, and you have a great way to describe it :)

    --Journey Tour Guide

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  2. This Psalm shows that true reading is not just eyes skipping across words and the mind saying yeh, yeh. Reading is a soul-changing transformation of consciousness. To truly read, one must release fear and allow the words to have ascendance. In other words, one surrenders, a word many do not like and will not do under any circumstances. In surrendering to this Psalm, one is cleansed of all one's egoic-emotional goop and emerges stronger and purer, even radiant. Scanned and rendered virus-free.

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