Bad news galore. The peddlers of bad news are striking rich these past years while the ordinary hard-working people are feeling more than a pinch. There seems to be a competition as to who can produce bad news. It varies in its quality and quantity. News of an ongoing pandemic. News of violence, oppression, and communities pitted against one another. News of natural disaster. It is around this week that we first got the news of Covid19 two years ago. Who’s tired?

Psalm 27 for this Sunday seems rather apt in our times. It declares, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear?” and “though war should rise up against me, yet will I put my trust in him”.

I find it rather uneasy when Scripture is used as a cliché. It cheapens and degrades the words that are meant to uplift our souls. These words here in Psalm 27 are about trusting God and not being afraid. Truthfully, are we not afraid and fearful of our times? I suggest to you that these are not merely words to be rid of fear but rather it is an acknowledgment that together with people of old in the Bible, we are fearful.

God is found not only in moments of great faith but also in times of great fear. This psalm longs for the days of “[dwelling] in the house of the Lord,” “sounds of great gladness,” and “[seeing] the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” It is a psalm of comfort. It is a psalm seeking the balm in Gilead.

This Lent, may we seek the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living at such times as ours today. Lent does not shy away from the harder things of this life; when we are reminded of our own mortality, we are also reminded of the life we have yet to live. The goodness of the Lord is still present, even in times of great trouble – perhaps, especially in times of great trouble. The implication of this is that if we believe that we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, then we’ll look for it.

“Look for it.” Where indeed do we look for it? Luke gives us the image of a mother hen. This is not an image of God that we are accustomed to. God as the mother hen does not gel with the image of the “lion of Judah”. I have seen many images of God on stained glass windows or on pictures and paintings that show God’s might and power. I cannot say that I have seen God as the mother hen.

In many of the great “I am” sayings of Jesus, we find the Good Shepherd, the bread of life, light of the world, the door, … etc., but you will never find one that says, “I am the mother hen”. So what is it about the mother hen that Luke is writing about?

Themes of protection and safety are all over this metaphor. And it’s worth noting that mother hens can be quite fierce if their babies are in danger. If you are a parent, you know you would do anything to protect your children.

We may recall our own experiences of our mothers and grandmothers. There is always the instinctive nature within a mother to gather up her loved ones. When a child hurts, the mother hurts more.
The image here of the mother hen comes in response to a threat posed by King Herod. Does this sound familiar? Whatever the source of threat of violence maybe, we do not find here a stronger source of power to counter it. Rather, we find a “mother hen” doing all to protect the vulnerable ones.

May the image of God as the “mother hen” travel with us in our struggles as we journey on this side of life. Be safe under her wings as it is outstretched over us.

May God be with you, Amen.

Chee