Psalm 142
“I am very weak”
Tradition describes the setting of Psalm 142 as a song David composed while hiding in a cave. This could have been the cave in Adullam (1 Samuel 22) or En-gedi (1 Samuel 24). Given that location, there is a lament over social isolation and rejection:
no one stands up for me;
there is no refuge for me;
no one cares about me.
In light of our loneliness epidemic, the cry “no one cares about me” speaks to many hearts. I was struck by the two mentions of weakness. One in verse 3: “my spirit is weak within me.” The other in verse 5: “Listen to my cry, for I am very weak.”
This week I had a few conversations about how to do evangelism in an increasingly post-Christian culture. How do you reach liberal humanists?
One lamentable strategy has been to double down on the culture wars. Lambast the feminists, the Woke, the progressives, progressive Christians among them. But I’ve never seen othering denunciation win over many hearts. As an evangelistic posture, it’s just a complete failure of missiological imagination.
Imagine the Woke as a tribe and you show up on their shores as a missionary. You spend some time listening to their passions and concerns, along with their sorrows and pains. There are some things you see that are very good. These people really care about the oppressed and the vulnerable. You sense a moral congruence with the Hebrew prophets and Jesus. But you also notice a lot of mental health problems and crises of meaning. And so, what are your first moves as an evangelist and missionary?
Well, you don’t start thumping your chest with war cries that you’ve arrived to wage war against them on behalf of Western Civilization. Or tell them they’re going to hell. And yet, this is precisely what so many are trying to do right now in regards to evangelism.
Listen, I get that you cannot evangelize liberals with liberalism. The decline of the mainline is a cautionary tale here. But you’re also not going to evangelize liberals with Trumpy evangelicalism. (Especially since Trumpy evangelicalism is as heretical as the Woke.) So what to do?
Let me suggest that Psalm 142 opens a window. People are in pain. The lament “no one cares about me” is everywhere. The mental health crisis rolls on. We find ourselves in a very dark place and cry out “I am very weak.” Let me suggest starting a conversation about God right there, in that place of darkness and weakness. It’s the strategy I use in The Shape of Joy. You start with the Ache I describe in Hunting Magic Eels.
You don’t evangelize the Woke with liberalism. And you don’t evangelize the Woke with culture warring. You evangelize the Woke by listening to the hurt and binding up the wounds.
There is a balm in Gilead. Share the medicine.
I so agree about listening to the hurt but binding the wounds is a delicate matter . As a Samaritan I listen a lot to people, hopefully being fully present and from a deep place within me but leave them free to find their own solutions , though askingopen questions to enable them better to see their way forward , trusting that those solutions are available to them through Gods grace but maybe not always in the way I would so like to direct them with my little controlling fixing it self !
I’m sure you’ve done this already, but would you provide a definition of “woke?” Feel free to point me to previous work. My friendly AI has provided the following (which I as a follower of Jesus wholeheartedly buy into the first 3 and reject the latter 3). Please don’t take this as negative, I’m really interested in your answer.
The relationship between "wokeness" and Jesus is a subject of intense theological debate, largely depending on whether the term is defined by its original roots in social awareness or by modern political ideologies.
Perspectives on Jesus as "Woke"
Proponents of this view argue that Jesus’ life and teachings align with the core definition of being "awake" to systemic injustice and the needs of the marginalized.
Marginalized Focus: Jesus consistently centered those ignored by society, such as the poor, the sick, and women.
Challenging Power: He openly confronted the religious and political elites of his day, such as the Pharisees and Sadducees, for their legalism and oppression.
Biblical Justice: Supporters point to Luke 4:18-19, where Jesus declares his mission to "proclaim good news to the poor" and "set the oppressed free," as a "woke" manifesto.
Perspectives Against the "Woke Jesus" Narrative
Critics argue that modern "wokeness" is a secular ideology that contradicts the fundamental message of the Gospel.
Individual vs. Systemic Sin: Critics contend that while "wokeness" focuses on systemic oppression and collective guilt, Jesus focused on individual sin and personal repentance.
Reconciliation vs. Division: Critics argue that "woke" ideology often categorizes people as "oppressors" or "victims" based on identity, whereas the New Testament emphasizes unity in Christ regardless of background.
Love for Enemies: While some "woke" practices include "cancel culture," Jesus explicitly commanded his followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them.
Thank you.
BTW enjoyed your theme re “weakness.”
Gary