With bright shining faces

 Psalm 67:1-2. NRSV

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us

    and make his face to shine upon us,

Selah

2 that your way may be known upon earth,

    your saving power among all nations.

We all know verse 1 pretty well.  These words are often used as a benediction at the end of worship services.  They are used on plaques and calendars and other decorations in our churches and our homes.  I use some variation on these words almost every day, when I write cards to church members and friends and people I just happen to think about.   

We can probably be forgiven for thinking that verse 1 sort of stands alone because it is followed by that pesky little word “Selah.”  There is very little agreement on what Selah means.  It might mean pause to consider these words, or indicate an instrumental interlude, or even serve as a place for to giving praise, like the way we see people  pumping hands in the air while praying.  Whatever it actually means, it serves to divide the verses from each other.  Possibly for that reason, some translations leave it out altogether.

I read this psalm in one of those translations this morning, the New International Version.  Before this I never really put these two verses together.  I saw that pause as a full stop after verse 1 -  a period, not a comma.  Today, though, I saw the comma.  I realized that these verses make up one sentence, not two.  

May God’s face shine upon us so that God’s ways may be known upon the earth.  Maybe that means we are to reflect the brightness of God’s grace out into the world, in much the same way that Moses’ face shone so brightly after he had been speaking with God he had to cover it for a while so he didn’t blind the Hebrew people.  Maybe that means we are to share the blessings we receive from God with whomever we encounter. Maybe we are supposed to share the Good News, telling people about the blessings we receive, so that it isn’t just us receiving God’s blessings of joy and peace and healing and love and mercy and compassion, but everyone.

I think there is no maybe about it. I think we are supposed to share our knowledge of all of those blessings, not just with people like us or people we like, but with all people. I think we are supposed to consider our every word and action to make sure what we are reflecting out into the world comes from God.  I think we are to do our best to ensure that every word and action we send out into the world reflects God’s grace, and will be a blessing to all persons.   Even our posts on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and  . . 

Loving God, may you be gracious to us and bless us and let your face shine upon us, so that we may reflect your blessings out into the world.  Amen.