Apparently, the hit show "The Biggest Loser" ends its season this week. I am not a regular follower of the show, although I am always surprised when I see the before/after pictures. The trainers scare me a little bit, but they also are a secret inspiration when I'm taking people through a workout myself. That show to me embodies discipline, even if I wonder about the long-term health effects of such rapid weight loss.
This psalm, in the end, is about discipline. And I believe this kind of discipline comes from devotion and focus. Anyone who hits the gym regularly knows that discipline is less about discouraging bad habits than encouraging new habits. The psalmist laments that so many seem to be undisciplined, and the result of such behavior is widespread systemic wickedness. The psalmist turns to God for help, hoping that God will intervene and create a new system that will be disciplined and just.
What is chilling, however, are the questions in the final verses. "Who will rise up for me against the wicked?" "Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?" The psalmist knows that God will send help. It is also true that there are people who silently ask this question all the time, wondering who God will send to stand against the systemic wickedness that still exists today. The Church is God's representative on earth to do that. So may we discipline our own selves so that we can be able to stand against the wickedness and show compassion for the hurting.
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