Kate
Bradford
Psalm 137
can be read over quickly in order to glean factual information. Such a summary
may note that the Psalm was written as a result of the siege and final
destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. (586 BC) The people of
Judah, the Southern Kingdom, were taken captive and exiled by the Babylonians.
Psalm 137 records the experience of some of the captives. The psalm is set by
the waters of Babylon which are possibly a network of irrigation canals between
the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The captives are musicians, possibly Levites
of the priestly class responsible for temple music. They are taunted by their
captors who demand that they sing their holy songs before a profane audience.
They refuse. They remember instead the beauty of Jerusalem and their music; they
remember the betrayal by the Edomites, their brothers, and express their desire
for revenge on the whole Babylonian society.
If the only
purpose of the psalm was to record historical facts, then these sad events have
been recorded in other places. This psalm however offers something in addition
to ‘history from above’. By contrast, this psalm offers ‘history from below’, a
unique insight into the mental and spiritual world of the captives. The events
are told from their unique perspective – our field of vision too is reduced
until we know only what they know.
I wish to
suggest that this is analogous to a chaplaincy visit. When we enter a situation
and hear a story, even if it has been reported in the media, in that first
conversation we choose to only know what the suffer chooses to share. They
connect words to their experience. As they search for words a deeply affected
language emerges. It is pungent with emotion and feeling which conversely may also
be demonstrated by an apparent lack of emotion. If we were to read the psalm by
limiting our field of vision to only what is shared in the psalm a very different
perception of reality emerges.
As we
listen we experience in ourselves the extreme grief of the captives. They sat and wept (vs 1), they
hung up their harps on the poplars in a state of despondency (vs 2), they refused to sing songs of joy before their captors (vs 3). They pledge their undying-loyalty to
Jerusalem, and to the memory of the way things were, and they take no joy in
the new circumstances (vs 4-6). They ruminate and rehearse; they catalogue all wrongs done to them (vs7) and fantasize about the destruction of their adversary (vs 7).
The
captives are in deep depression, exhibited in despondency, manifested in
exercising a control they have left to them – refusal to co-operate. The past
is idealised, nostalgia has taken hold and the fond memories of Jerusalem serve
the present, forgetful of the apostasy that lead to the exile. They are
continually and deliberately remembering the past, all that is lost, all the
wrong that has been done to them and they experience anger expressed in a
desire for vengeance.[1]
Shocking as
some of these sentiments may be, it is helpful to note that the captives are
experiencing an entirely normal grief response to the abnormal situation of
having survived the deprivations of an horrific two-year siege and the
dislocation of a forced exile to a foreign land. Brueggermann, observed that
the various psalms describes different phases that are experienced in
relationship with God and the world. These experiences may be described as
orientation, disorientation or re-orientation.[2]
Psalm 137 describes a people in deep disorientation in a state of loss-orientated
grief.
If we were to
conduct a loss assessment on the captives we would observe that they have experienced
loses in every aspect of their lives. Material loss is represented by loss of
possessions and homes. Relational loss has
been precipitated by the death toll of war and starvation. The captives have experienced complete systemic
loss with the dissolution of their nation and community. As survivors of a
siege and exile they would experience ongoing physical and psychological health
problems. Intra-psychic loss is expressed in the loss of future hopes and dreams
associated with Jerusalem. For temple musicians the destruction of the temple
causes immediate loss of vocational role.
There has been some suggestion that these musicians are working as ditch
diggers keeping Babylon’s canals free of silt. This would routinely lead to emotional
and spiritual losses caused by humiliation.
In this case
it is also interesting to note that the captives have experienced almost all common
symptoms of culture shock which are known to be exacerbated in cases of
enforced removal or repatriation. Typical symptoms are withdrawal; feeling isolated or helpless; sad and
despondent; irritable; homesickness; hostility towards host nationals and criticizing
local ways of doing things. It is probably helpful to keep in mind that almost
all people that a chaplain meets in hospitals, prisons, aged care and mental
health facilities will be undergoing some form of culture shock in addition to
the many other losses that tragedies bring.
Now, having heard
from the captives all they are going through and also reflecting on a couple of
assessment models, how does the chaplain help? It is interesting to reflect
that knowing about something is not the same as ‘knowing it’. There will always
be a gap between the sufferer’s experience and our understanding of their
experience.
The captives, like
all people going through extreme grief, have a need to tell their story over
and over again. The prayer of the chaplain would be that the captives begin to
integrate their experience in time and begin to find meaning and purpose to go
on orientating towards God rather than further away from him. The chaplain
would accompany the captives as they move from a grief-orientated loss process
towards a re-orientation process. This process will only be able to happen as
the captives begin to deal with the past truthfully as they reflect on why God
allowed them to be exiled from Jerusalem in the first place. Over time this
would usually lead to a less romantic reflection on Jerusalem. Careful listening
reveals that although the captives are missing the songs of God and Jerusalem,
they have not mentioned God himself. A re-oriented perspective is that God is
with the captives in Babylon, he exists separate from songs about him and his
temple in Jerusalem. He has not abandoned his people, he is present with them in
the the foreign land. The chaplain guides, offering warm silence and gentle
wisdom in the hope of helping to assist the captives rediscover their first
love, the hope of a new future. But this is not a truth that can be imposed. It
has to be revealed by God himself.
Theologically
Psalm 137 asks, ‘Can the people of God, be the people of God outside the Land?’
Humanly speaking Psalm 137 asks, ‘Can any human survive the atrocities that
captives such as these have endured?’ On reflection, and over time and with
good pastoral care it could be possible for the captives to reply ‘yes’ on both
accounts.
[1] For a related discussion see, Viviers, H., 2010, ‘Psalm 137: Perspectives on the (neuro-)
psychology of loss’, Verbum et Ecclesia 31(1), Art. #397, 7 pages. DOI:
10.4102/ve.v31i1.397
[2] Walter Brueggemann, ‘Ch 3 Psalms of Disorientation’, The Spirituality of the Psalms,
Minneapolis: Fotress, 2002, pp 25-45.
