“Shield” | Reflection by the Rev. Luk De Volder

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped.” – Psalm 28:7

Protection, protection! When war unleashes among us, our first reaction is to secure protection. All shields are welcome to build that protection. The images of war in Ukraine have given us a renewed sense of how devastating, ruthless, and cruel war can be, especially when an unhinged tyrant is lashing out. Witnessing this cruelty brings so much shock and sadness, but also a deep desire to join the besieged and to erect every possible shield of protection. While the Ukrainian war reminds us of the sufferings people experience in any war, it also brings to mind how war crimes are such violations of human dignity, of sacrality of all life. 

The shield of faith as mentioned in the Psalm 28 is an expression of God’s protection for the sacredness of the life in each one of us. This spiritual shield evokes how God is seeking to establish protection of the soul, protection of our mind, protection of our home, protection of our sense of self, in order that we can grow and bloom in the strength that God is infusing in our being every second. To develop trust in this spiritual shield requires common sense: it is not magical. But it can operate as a strengthening of our mind and spirit. May we all rejoice that the Lord is our shield.