When Hope is Hard to Find

The Psalms are that sacred space in Scripture where honest humanity collides with loving divinity. Thomas Merton once said the Psalms “represent the experience of men and women who have prayed in every conceivable circumstance across thirty centuries.” In Psalm 42 we get an intimate glimpse into a soul’s pursuit of God’s presence, not simply for enhanced spirituality, but for in a heart-wrenching cry for survival. Let’s consider Psalm 42 as less a poetic contemplation and more of a primal scream.