I am writing a series of meditations on the Psalms of Ascent. This first psalm of ascending begins in the depths of suffering. As I tried to hear the rhythms of this psalm in my soul, I kept imagining the Holocaust. Is God present in the darkest, depths of suffering? As I read and reflect on this Psalm, I think of all who are immersed in depths of suffering. In the night of war and pain and forsakenness, our only hope is found in the goodness and mercy of God.

Psalm 120:1-7