Psalm 37

Do you remember the Occupy Wall Street movement? If it seems like a distant memory, that might be because it happened nearly 10 years ago now, and there have been a lot of news cycles since then! But for a time, in 2011, the Occupy movement was just about the only thing people were talking about.

People were angry. They were upset and frustrated about the dismal state of the U.S. (and global) economy and the bankers and big corporations who contributed to the financial mess of those times. Calling themselves the “ninety-nine percent,” they accused the “one percent” of greed and corruption, claiming that they had unjustly and unfairly enriched themselves at the expense of others.

In an effort to voice their anger and frustration, they camped out for weeks in different cities across the country, calling for justice and restitution. It was very easy to sympathize with their position—I mean, who doesn’t want to upend the comfy beds of those who unfairly enriched themselves? To this day, I still think of the word “occupy” whenever I hear of movements relating to issues of social justice. But then you read something like the beginning of today’s psalm: “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong.” (vs 1)

It whacked me upside the head like a 2×4, that verse. What do you mean, don’t get upset about evil?! Aren’t we supposed to cry out against evil? Aren’t we supposed to stand up to injustice? How can the psalmist suggest that our reaction to wickedness should be a non-reaction?!

Yet, as odd as it seems, the command to not get upset about evil and injustice only intensifies as the psalm goes on. Later, David says it even more clearly: ”Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not fret—it only leads to evil.” (vs 7-8)

I thought that was interesting—that David says the reaction we so commonly have to evil will only lead to more evil. It won’t solve anything in the long run. So, what are we to do when we see injustice?

Well, this actually reminds me of one of my favorite passages in Scripture. It comes at the beginning of Habakkuk. It seems Habakkuk saw quite a bit of corruption and injustice in his day and was contemplating an Occupy movement of his own:

How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. (Hab 1:2-4)

Sounds like Habakkuk could have been living in 2011 or 2020. And that’s why God’s response to him is so interesting. He doesn’t tell Habakkuk to pitch a protest tent or make a picket sign. He doesn’t tell him to do anything about the injustice he sees. Instead, He says this:

“Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” (Hab 1:5)

To His prophet who was concerned about injustice and violence and evil, God says, “Be quiet and watch. Don’t get all worked up. And don’t assume that I’m not working behind the scenes. You bet I am! And I’m doing something so amazing that you can’t even imagine what it will be! Even if I told you what it was, it’s so amazing that you still wouldn’t believe me!”

That is the kind of God we serve. He doesn’t ignore injustice. Instead, just as He returns good for evil, He uses all injustice to bless us more than if we had never been misused in the first place. He has a grand plan that He is working out behind the scenes—and it includes all the injustice we see.

This doesn’t mean that there is never a time and place to address evil and injustice—especially when we witness it firsthand. But we should never forget that God also sees it and is working it all out for good. I realize this could make it sound like God doesn’t care whether we are unjust or not—but of course He does! He doesn’t want us to practice injustice—but it’s not because He is incapable of righting our wrongs. It’s because being unjust to others does something to us on the inside. And He doesn’t want us to be wicked. He wants us to be like Him.

You see, God has His own Occupy movement, and in this chapter, David gives us several suggestions for the kind of territory God is interested in seeing us occupy. So, if you’re inclined to pitch a tent and set up camp, these would be great places to start, places that allow for the looking and watching and being amazed that God told Habakkuk about:

Occupy trust. (vs 3)
Occupy delight. (vs 4)
Occupy dependence. (vs 5)
Occupy patience. (vs 7)
Occupy peace. (vs 11)
Occupy poverty! (vs 16)
Occupy innocence. (vs 18)
Occupy generosity. (vs 21)
Occupy goodness. (vs 27)
Occupy hope. (vs 34)

Maybe what David is saying is, Forget about what other people are doing—leave them to God—and worry about what you are doing. Forget about occupying Wall Street or the wall on the border or the wall around the Planned Parenthood clinic and start by occupying the wall in your own heart.

Yes, maybe one of the reasons we find activism is so alluring is that it tends to deflect our attention away from what we’re doing. Why do I say that? Because occupying any one thing on that list is infinitely more difficult than getting angry, picking up a sign, and shouting while you march. Yet the impact of pursuing those things in your life will be infinitely greater than any protest you’ll ever participate in.

I may not know much, but I do know that.