A little bit Babylon

The Psalm at Morning Prayer today is 137 - by the waters of Babylon, we sat down and wept, there we remembered Zion. The iconic recording by Boney M is the video attached.

Anyway, the idea of a Babylonian Captivity is one which has been used at various times when people lack freedom and are oppressed. The Civil Rights Movement was one (we remember Martin Luther King today) and there are plenty of situations in the world where this Psalm is sung with deep and great regret and pain.

I do not mean to cause offense by saying this - being locked out of Church for a few weeks is not the same as generations of systematic oppression - but we are in a small sort of exile. Perhaps, during this Holy Week, this might be a theme we can think about - look around us in this country and beyond for those in true exile, hold them in our prayers. Perhaps this experience might spur us to action for those who will not have an end to their disconnect in a few weeks (we hope) with a door to a building being opened.

The Psalm asks how we can sing the Lord's song in a strange land - how can we, and how can we if they cannot?