neuroBIBLISTICS

College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA

Date:
October 19, 2022

The Orthodox Christian Fellowship Meeting

Invited by the President of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship at the College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA Stephen Vasiljevic, Dimitrije Stanojevic, M.A. presented on the topic Being Present: Psalms as Medium of Focus.

In a world full of distractions, Psalms are means of focus. Namely, Psalm 1 teaches that a blessed man is one who “meditates” on the Law of the Lord, day and night, continually. The Hebrew verb usually translated as “meditate” in English Bibles conceals a deeper meaning of totally absorbed and focused action rather than passive meditation. This verb conveys a delightful action that brings joy, like the joy a lion experiences while eating his prey, as the prophet Isaiah suggests by using the same verb in Isa. 31:4.

Psalms cultivate the focus that brings peace, the wholeness. The wholeness is the balance between the needs of the soul and the body in constant awareness of God and in the knowledge that all humans are created in the Image and Likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). Psalms shift the focus from fear, inactivity, depression, and anxiety into doing and acting. Psalms help to stop one from being egoistic by acknowledging God and others. Also, Psalms remove the unease caused by overthinking and any other problems that seem big but essentially do not have eternal significance. 

What we are focused on impacts our future and eternity as well. Let us focus on the God of Psalms – Our Lord Jesus Christ. Focus on Christ removes distractions of the world and places emphasis on the living for the sake of the soul. Reading Psalms prompts acting out the Word of God which is love and kindness and brings delight and joy to life.