“The God Squad” is a weekly religious newspaper column written by Rabbi Marc Gellman, which appears each Saturday in the Ocala Star Banner.  It was originally written jointly with Catholic priest Monsignor Tom Hartman, but Gellman continued on his own after Hartman fell ill with Parkinson’s disease and died in 2016.  It gives sound, understandable commentary on religious questions.  During the last few weeks, the column has been concerned with the comforting role of the Psalms during the COVID-19 pandemic.  These recent columns have been based on letters Gellman received from his readers.  Let me give you some of the insights provided by him and his readers; if you don’t already do so, I would urge you to read his column.

The Psalms have been reassuring people for over two thousand years.  The twenty-third Psalm is universal in that it seems to provide help in every situation.  Rabbi Gellman and his readers note that some other Psalms seem particularly apt during this pandemic.  Here are some.  Psalm 55 assures us that we always have a companion in our troubles.  Verse 22 says, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.”  Psalm 100:5 says, “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”  This is longer than any pandemic.  Psalm 121 is one of my favorites.  It opens with, “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”  These are majestic verses, and every time I read this, I think of the two wonderful years, a half century ago, when Paulette and I lived in Colorado.  COVID help comes from verses 7 and 8, “The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

Rabbi Gellman, based on a suggestion by a reader, devoted an entire article to Psalm 91, and indeed, of all the Psalms, it speaks most directly to our current situation.  In verses 4 – 6 we read, “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.”  God doesn’t promise an absence of trials, sorrows, or pain, but in this Psalm, he does promise peace, comfort, and freedom from fear, even in the face of pestilence and plague.  Please read the entire Psalm and see if you don’t agree.

A closing prayer:  Lord, these are trying times, and we admit that we are fearful of the unknown things beyond our control.  We are thankful for these Psalms which come from your unconditional love.  Please strengthen our faith in the freedom from fear that they promise.  Amen.

Jim