The Testimony of Poets and Sages
The Psalms and Wisdom Literature

Psalm 137
Psalm 137 provides a parade example of the honest dialogue of faith. This psalm is one for which readers can readily imagine a historical background. I the sixth century B.C.E., the Babylonian armies marched into Judah and conquered the nation including it capital Jerusalem. The city was left in ruins. Those who were of influence were taken as captives to Babylon. This defeat constituted the destruction of the world as the ancient Israelites had known it and so brought much trauma for the community. Our psalm opens with a poignant scene among those in exile from Jerusalem/Zion. Zion had been known for its worship and its psalms, but now is in ruin.

The next verses move toward a response to the traumatic state of exile--in an idolatrous place. The first response is memory; the vow is to remember Zion and Jerusalem and its songs. Then the call is for God to remember those who perpetrated the destruction, Babylon and the Edomites who aided in the defeat. The conclusion of the psalm is a harrowing cry for vengeance on the Babylonian oppressors:

Happy shall they be who pay you back
what you have done to us!
Happy shall they be who take your little ones
and dash them against the rock! (vv.8-9)

The hope is that conqueror Babylon will now be defeated. These verses may be the most horrific example, but this feature of the cry for vengeance is in other psalms. Understandably, many readers simply ignore these psalms as distasteful and contrary to the teachings of Jesus. At the same time, these texts can contribute to a holistic view of faith. The speakers seek justice for those who have been wronged, and they operate from the perspective of God's people. They understand themselves to be speaking out against the enemies of God.

It is also important to remember that these psalms are prayers to God. They do not advocate violence against enemies but plead with God to bring about the vengeance that is the Lord's. It is thus possible to see such prayers as liberating acts of faith. the lamenter describes the crisis and places the matter with god who is the final arbiter. God will decide, and the psalms plead for God to decide against the enemies. This psalm and the Psalter as a whole are remarkably honest in the dialogue with God.

The psalmists knew long before the advent of modern therapy that for communities and individuals to deal with pain and anguish, the pain and woe must first come to expression. Psalm 137 cries out from the ruins; a way of life is no more. Perhaps the prime example of such a psalm from an individual is Psalm 109. The speaker suffers under the assault of "lying tongues" and has become an object of "scorn." The articulation of such pain enables the individual or community to move forward and deal with it. One deals with anguish, anger, and pain by working through it rather than going around it. And take note that these cries are cries addressed to God. All of this "negative" part of life is included in the honest dialogue of faith. The saints of old did not hold within grudges, anger, or pain, but brought them to expression in prayer.