LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. – Psalm 8:1

Today's Scripture Reading (June 17, 2022): Psalm 8

At the base of every populist political group is the idea that our first responsibility is to those just like us. Yes, populism is at the heart of everything that white supremacy stands for, but it is so much more than just that. Populism maintains that there are things that are right for our nation and things that are right for the world. The latter is often called "globalism." And when populism and globalism come into conflict with each other, the doctrine of populism demands that we do what is right for us because that is more important than what is right for the world.

Part of our problem is that we are living in a global world. If there is anything that Russia's war on Ukraine has proven to us, it is that a conflict on the other side of the world can affect all of us. Our world exists in a global economy. And while it might be possible to cut ourselves from the global economy, that means that we are likely dooming ourselves to live in poverty. It is a reality that globalism tries to communicate. And what is best for us is usually what is best for the world. We have to maximize what is best for the world to maximize our potential. We don't live in a finite world where our success means that others must fail. That idea, which is also part of populism, is at the heart of all international conflict and the racial and economic wars we wage. But it is a false belief. We can all be successful, and bringing that success is all of the people of the earth is the only way to make wars cease and allow peace to reign in our world.

David worshipped the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This God was Israel's God, and that was something that David understood. And so, he begins his Psalm by recognizing God's place in the worship of Israel. And he uses the national name for God. The Psalm's opening words (Lord, our Lord) could be more literally translated as Yahweh (Or Jehovah) our Master. The name Yahweh simply means "The God who exists." But it is a mistake to assume that Yahweh is nothing more than a national God, the God of Israel.

David reminds his readers that Yahweh is not just the God of Israel but that his name is made known through all the earth. Yahweh is not a populist God: he is a global one. I believe that the real impact of that idea is that Yahweh is the God who exists, and regardless of our belief systems or what we might call God, it is Yahweh for whom we are searching. No, not all paths lead to God. Jesus made that clear. "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). But that doesn't mean that the world isn't searching for Yahweh. They are trying to find the path that will lead to him. We all need to find "the God that exists."

But it doesn't stop there. Yahweh is not a national God; his influence and concern extend far beyond just that. He is the God of the Universe. The God who exists is the God of everything that exists. And the proof is that he set his glory in the heavens.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalms 9 & 10