In the baptismal liturgy we invoke the images of Psalm 69:14-15 over the water in the font; “By the baptism of his death and resurrection, your Son Jesus has carried us to safety and freedom. The floods shall not overwhelm us and the deep shall not swallow us up for Christ has brought us over to the land of promise.” It is a confident hope in what will be that allows the psalmist to endure what is. God’s steadfast love, faithful help and abundant mercy will overcome reproach, shame, insults and the indignity of being the subject of gossip and drunken songs. A life of zealous service is often misunderstood although in our cultural context one’s piety is largely ignored which I suppose is a more subtle form of insult. It could be that we are less than zealous for the sort of things that might generate criticism. Like selling all our possessions and giving to the poor (Mark 10:17-31) or taking literally the 70 x 7 forgiveness rule (Matthew 18:21-22) or the admonition for those who sin to leave the stones on the ground (John 8:7) or overturning the tables of our own institutional idolatry. (Mark 11:15-19) Maybe if we were more zealous for the things that got Jesus crucified we would be the subject of drunken songs. Not saying that’s a good thing just that maybe getting noticed for doing what Jesus did is better than not doing anything worthy of ridicule.
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