This song is based on Psalm 85, and is the Responsorial Psalm for the Second Sunday of Advent, Year B.
Lord, you were favorable to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people;
you pardoned all their sin.
You withdrew all your wrath;
you turned from your hot anger.
Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us.
Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
Will you not revive us again,
so that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps. (Ps. 85, NRSV)
The psalmist writes of God’s everlasting love. In spite of Israel’s faithlessness, in spite of the many sins of Israel, God’s love remains steadfast and faithful. Kindness is the quality which flows from God’s faithful love. Tragically, humanity has been sorely lacking the quality of kindness throughout all of human history. If we acted in kindness toward one another, there would be no conflict, no hunger, no violence and war. All people would be cared for and loved. As in the first Psalm Offering of this Opus, there is an abundance of hope that humanity will be healed of its brokenness and sin, and restored to the humanity God intended at the creation of the world. May our lives be an expression of God’s kindness and peace in our world, in which love and faithfulness will meet, and righteousness (justice) and peace shall kiss.
