The Psalms and the pursuit of Truth

It often occurs to me that the most objective part of the Old Testament we can connect with is the Psalms. Throughout history, comment on society, government and politics etc has been most likely to be deemed acceptable through the Arts. Want to complain publicly about the government? Particularly in an authoritarian country? Go under the radar. Sleight of hand- write a pop song, a poem, slightly tongue in cheek and oblique…. The band “Pussycat Dolls” are a good example of this in Russia. To my mind, the Psalms are in this way perhaps the most objective comment we can access on the way ancient people connected with God. 

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It has always been a matter of great concern for me that the God of the Old Testament would seem to be entirely different from the God of the New. Paternalistic, authoritarian and controlling, condemning and expecting. Not as comforting as that of the- perhaps more maternal, loving God we read of in the New Testament. And yet Jesus absolutely fulfilled the prophecies from the Old Testament, the New Testament only stands on the shoulders of the ancient books of the Bible- and exists to fulfil them. 

Historians will always remind you that any source must be carefully evaluated, with analysis of authorship, provenance, context and purpose. It is important to remember that the Old Testament was compiled/shared and written over a vast period of 5000 years, with clear intent. It aimed to amalgamate details of a shared past to provide a collective identity to sustain a people in transition. The Jewish race, a religion without a homeland, cast adrift without governance. It offered rules and advisories, and a collective historical foundation which the Jewish people could identify with. 

As an historian that raises significant concerns in accessing the fundamental information contained within. Add in the lenses repeated translations layer on top of the intent and you have a melting pot of subjectivities. Tough for any Biblical scholar, let alone a lay person! None of this makes the content less relevant of course - it just takes the diligence required to access it up a level. It requires us to keep our senses alive as we apply the criteria of historical source analysis. Immersing ourselves in the content still holds value- but we should proceed with caution- and apathy. Here I am not referring to apathy in the laid back, “do nothing/feel nothing” sense we understand it in the West. I am referring to apatheos the Greek word which means the removal of prejudice and judgement- it’s more a reference the need to empty your mind of pre-conceptions to fully engage with a text in a less subjective manner. 

Of course much of this is true of the New Testament. Translated, written after the event(s) and with clear purpose other than objective recording. But the fact it was written closer to our own time, and that sections such as the Gospels offer (at times) corroboration and context helps enormously. And any challenges accessing the Truth contained within either section of the Bible is where a personal connection with God can help. 

As Origen says the pursuit of Truth is the main purpose and benefit to humanity. Connecting with God is by definition the pursuit of Truth, since God is the source of Truth. But we can only ever access God’s Kingdom from our personal, human position & perspective, objective knowledge of the Truth that is God's is never fully possible. However, it is the intention to access it, and the pursuit of it which offers Christians enlightenment and purpose. This is why reading the Bible, thinking about it and opening yourself to its content is THE most important part of study, NOT the end conclusions. The pursuit of Truth is the pursuit of God as God is Truth. (First principles.) 

To focus on God thus means in our human sense that we see or notice our ‘universe’ more objectively; but to do this we need to quiet our preconceptions, our human "passions" as Rowan Williams described in his book "Passions of the Soul". The noise of humanity, our natural instincts, judgements and preconceptions cloud our view and inhibit our understanding. The pursuit of Truth is therefore the desire to witness more of God's creation. This journey will alter our perceptions and this offers a greater awareness of His Kingdom. We are 'awakened'; our universe literally shifts. This is what it means to entre His Kingdom, and follow His path. Connecting with God in this manner however requires quiet and stillness, and practise. Something I for one am not particularly skilled at! 

Which brings me back to the Psalms. Because contained therein are the attempts of others to follow this path- this journey. We can learn a great deal from their meditative ponderings on the world in which they lived, their human state and the workings of God. Their uncensored attempts to record their efforts to seek enlightenment can perhaps provide us with more access to the Truth and God’s Kingdom than any other part of the Old Testament. Revered as works of beauty they largely escaped the masks of intent and purpose, and as such offer a true insight into the ancient people’s relationship with God. 

The Psalms sit right at the heart of Christian faith and practice. They function as the Bible’s main prayer book and hymn book, linking the worship of ancient Israel with the prayer life of Christians today. They speak honestly about the whole range of human experience – from overwhelming joy to despair, anger, and grief. Whatever life throws at us, the Psalms give us language to bring it before God. 

The Psalms .give us words when we don’t have any of our own, offering a shared language for praise, protest, thanksgiving, and longing. They shape both personal prayer and communal worship. They act like a God-given mirror, reflecting real human lives as they are actually lived. They make space for lament, doubt, fear, and anger, showing that none of these emotions are off-limits to God. They reassure us that God can cope with our honesty. The Psalms encourage a way of life rooted in reflection on God’s word, the pursuit of Truth mentioned above. Psalm 1 in particular points to meditation and attentiveness as a means of shaping character and grounding faith in God’s ways. 

Ultimately, the Psalms encourage Christians into a deeper relationship with God, offering raw experience and emotion whilst providing support for those who seek enlightenment today.