Read: Psalm 64
Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.
-Psalm 64:1
After reading several different versions of Psalm 64, one word, “bullying”, kept popping up in my brain. Years ago when my son Bayard was in elementary school, he came home with two black eyes. After questioning him, Dennis and I found out that he had been walking down the bus aisle and someone stuck out a leg and tripped him and he lost his balance and fell. This was not the first time he had been harassed and it would happen to him in high school. My husband called the school and was told that they would talk to the bus driver and the driver “saw nothing”.
Bayard’s friend Nathan attended the same school and was harassed numerous times during recess by a group of girls. In frustration, he lashed out at them and was suspended for three days.
Now, we have Republic Act 10627 (or the Anti-Bullying Act) in place which protects children in schools from being bullied. Schools are now required to adopt policies to keep children from being bullied.
We have had people accused of bullying in our government, protestors in the U.S. Capitol, Canada’s Governor General resigning as a result of bullying allegations, Boy Scouts, cyber, sexual, physical, and verbal attacks.
So, where is the good news? In addition to Republic Act 10627, we have the ability to vote out or impeach elected officials, the option to put safeguards on our computers, ways to report unwanted or violent sexual and physical abuse or attacks to the police, peaceful (hopefully) protests and we have Psalm 64.
The Message tells us “Everyone sees it. God’s work is the talk of the town. Be glad, good people! Fly to God! Good-hearted people, make praise your habit” (v. 9-10)
Lord God of mercy, grant to us to be preserved from all our enemies and saved in thy Son with an everlasting salvation. Amen.
-Mary Ann Taylor