Let The Light Shine Through

During the mid-1960s, a new translation of the Bible was issued. It was called “The Jerusalem Bible.” In truth, every Bible is The Jerusalem Bible, for Jerusalem is what the Bible is all about. The Psalter or Book of Psalms is, as you know, a collection of religious songs — songs of supplication, hymns of thanksgiving and of praise. Among them are the “Songs of Zion.” “Zion,” of course, is a poetic synonym for Jerusalem. The “Songs of Zion” are hymns of praise to God for His wondrous gifts and benevolence. Psalm 137 recalls the fall of Jerusalem and the deportation of Jews into captivity in Babylonia. In it, the Psalmist, speaking for his distressed people, wonders how it was possible to sing “the Lord’s song” — the triumphant “Songs of Zion” — in the midst of that terrible situation. Psalm 137 is especially important in the worship life of our Jewish brothers and sisters, and it should be equally precious to us. We read…