“Happy are they whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.” Psalm 32:1
On the early spring morning in the photo, the Potomac’s cold waters move smoothly. It’s a little chilly for a baptism, but I think of the many that have occurred along these banks. One can simply search the web and watch baptisms at White’s Ferry (not far from here) or see faded photographs of baptisms more than 100 years ago. There’s something powerful about a river baptism, the image of it’s great current carrying away the dirt of our lives over the Great Falls, along the Chesapeake Bay with its scouring crabs, spilling finally into the ocean to be lost forever. But the smooth river waters also invite me to imagine those silent night crossings of “runaway” slaves. Virginia shores are on the left, Maryland on the right. The Potomac was a great barrier on their journey north, but, once across, it would in some sense cover their tracks. Then the canal towpath, where I am standing on the Maryland side, if traveled stealthily, would provide a route to the South Mountain ridge (which the AT now travels north) or on to the towns of Hancock or Cumberland. From either of these towns or following South mountain, the Pennsylvania state line and freedom were not far. Were the fleeing slaves guided by another verse in this psalm? “You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble, you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.” (Psalm 32: 7) The native Algonquin people were the first to name this river the “Potomac” which in their language means “place where people trade. ” Those baptized in this river by grace trade sins for clean hearts. Slaves crossed this river to trade their bondage for freedom. Freedom from sin or freedom from slavery—this river has witnessed the sacrament of both. Walking along this towpath is reminder that there are so many kinds of freedoms people need—spiritual freedom, physical freedom, freedom from addiction, freedom from violence, freedom of basic civil rights, freedom from…. The list of needed freedoms is long. As a follower of Christ in my work and daily life where am I called to participate and use my voice in the holy task of setting people free?
And here’s story to go with it: http://www.frederickdouglass.org/douglass_bio.html
Suggestions:
1. Take this verse with you and ponder its meaning for you throughout the day. What do you notice? What do you wonder? How would you finish the sentence “Freedom from….”? How are we called to participate in setting people free?
2. Or read all of Psalm 32 to discover how this verse fits into the psalm or to discover a different verse.
3. Or comment with a photo of your own that illustrates this verse’s meaning for you.
Tomorrow’s verse is from Psalm 33:13-15.
Starting January 1, 2016, for 150 days I am posting a daily psalm verse with a photo that is a visual meditation on the text for me. Each day a verse from the next psalm is chosen until all 150 psalms have been featured. To participate you may subscribe to my blog at https://elainedent.net or “friend” me on Facebook and watch for the daily links to blog posts. Disclaimer: I am not a photographer and most of the photos are from a cell phone or small camera while hiking the Appalachian Trail or the C&O Canal/Great Allegheny Passage Trail.
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