All Along the Watchtower

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord, more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning." Psalm 130:5

Those who watch for the morning are the soldiers on the night watch, guarding the gates of the city. They long for the morning, not for the end of their shift, but because the dawn punctuates the uncertainty and danger of the night. With the morning light comes relative safety--so it was indeed longed for greatly. And yet the psalmist yearning for the coming of the Lord is deeper than that.

Tonight, in Baghdad and Kabul and Darfur and many other outposts of freedom, there are soldiers charged with the safety of the populace, who watch for danger and wait for morning. They are Americans, Iraqis, Afghans, and others, thrown together by their willingness to give their all to protect the innocent and free the oppressed. And the nights for these ones is a scary time. As they watch and wait and react to the night's events, they long for the morning, and along with the rest of us--they long for God's presence.

Meanwhile, back home, our souls long for God's peace. His Word gives us hope that one day the world will put down weapons and work together to feed the world, care for the sick and dying, and live in harmony with one another. We long for this even more than those men and women wait for the light of day.

Let us pray,

God, keep our soldiers safe, and guide them in their duties. Be a comforting presence for them as they face danger and horror. Bring them home safely. Give us your peace, that, through us, peace might come again to the world, as it once did in a manger one deep quiet night as the watchmen called the hours left til dawn. Amen