The following excerpt from Nan C. Merrill's rendition of Psalm 137 came to me this morning in an email from Friends of Silence. I am reminded that we all need to give some thought as to where, and with whom, we are dropping anchor. The image of the anchor is believed to have had deep meaning for early Christians who were suffering persecution, and I found some lovely images online. The word anchor is actually not mentioned in the Psalms or any part of the Hebrew scriptures, but does appear in the New Testament in Hebrews 6:19 and in the story of Paul's shipwreck in Acts. Nan C. Merrill never claimed that her renditions of the psalms were translations. However, I do at times like today, find inspiration in her work.
As I was pondering all this, I decided to eat an energy bar. I am about to take a walk, and I do not believe that the few slices of apple that I ate earlier will sustain me for much longer. While perusing the cupboard, I found a well-aged RX Bar which I ate. I just realized that on the label, there is a depiction of an ancient Christian image of an anchor.
Thusly fueled, I go forward, grateful that we are held.
sink not into the sea of despair,
the mire of hatred.
Awaken, O my heart,
that I drown not in fear!
Too long have I sailed where'ere
the winds have blown!
Drop anchor!
the winds have blown!
Drop anchor!
~ Nan Merrill, Psalm 137 from PSALMS FOR PRAYING
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