What's Good (or Wicked)

What do moments of goodness, love, mercy, caring feel like in your body?

Photo by Lana Campher on Unsplash

Psalm 37: 1-3

Do not fret because of the wicked;

do not be envious of wrongdoers,

for they will soon fade like the grass

and wither like the green herb.

Trust in the Lord and do good

First of all, when I read this passage, my mind wants to start singing the opening number from the musical Wicked. So, I hope that you also take a moment to listen to Ariana (or Kristin, if you’re an originalist) access some wildly high notes.

But, musicals aside, I think the concept of “wickedness” throughout this passage bears some reflection. For my sexuality, gender, politics, and probably even tattoos, many Christians and those in political power consider me “wicked.” Meanwhile, I fear their current cruelty and dehumanization of me, my community, and people I love deeply. And I want to yell back, “no, you’re wicked!!”

And now we look like children, our fingers out, trying to point out who is more wrong.

I don’t know what or who is wicked, but my body and soul knows what is aligned, caring, loving, and good.

This passage hints that I might navigate the upcoming years better if I change my focus from who I think is wicked to what is the goodness before me at this moment. While I’m not saying to put your head in the sand and completely ignore the history unfolding before us right now, I am saying that we need to stay focused on our sphere of influence and dig into the goodness we can do.

What do moments of goodness, love, mercy, caring feel like in your body? When you take time to ground into that, what changes in your perspective of the world around you? What is possible for you to influence right now with that goodness, love, mercy, and caring?

—Theo Isoz