Wednesday 7 January 2026

2 Corinthians 1:3-12

Background
In the film ‘The Truman Show’, Truman Burbank (played by Jim Carrey) is unaware that his whole life is a reality show, secretly being manipulated and filmed by Christof, the show’s producer and director. When the truth finally dawns on Truman, he decides to escape by sailing to the edge of his known world. On the sail of his yacht you can see the number 139.

In Psalm 139, the psalmist wrestles with what it means to be seen and known by God. For God to ‘hem me in’ (v. 5) can feel like safety, or like imprisonment. Do I want to rest secure as God’s right hand holds me fast (v. 10)? Or do I want to flee from God’s presence (v. 7)? The psalmist is aware of this ambivalence, for surely to be searched and known by the living God is both to know we are beloved, and also to feel distinctly vulnerable. It is certainly not an entirely comfortable place to be.

The psalmist is in dialogue with the creator of heaven and earth, and the psalm revolves around the word ‘known’: the word occurs seven times in this psalm. We are known so intimately that there is nowhere we can go where God is not: "I come to the end – I am still with you" (v 18).

So what does that intimate knowing mean for the writer? Verses 19-22 have challenged commentators and theologians – and indeed ordinary Christians – over the years. If I love God, if I am totally and safely held in God’s love, does that mean I hate those who reject this divine relationship?

Some commentators suggest that these verses don’t belong in this psalm, and have been edited in from elsewhere. Others advise that they should be read as a much broader and deeper request that God should set things right in the world, a prayer echoed in Mary’s Magnificat. But perhaps they simply mean what they mean? Perhaps I might feel secure enough in God to explore what it means to be fully human; even my own insecurity, even my virulent hatred of those who are utterly opposed to God, even my ambivalent feelings about my relationship with God.

To Ponder:

• Do you feel safe enough in God’s loving hands to explore even your most uncomfortable feelings and emotions?
• In the Genesis creation story God forms humans out of clay. In this psalm God weaves us; we ‘are knit together’ in the womb. What metaphor would you choose to explore God’s creative power in your life?
• "Darkness is as light to you" (v. 12). Do you encounter God most easily in the light? Or in the dark?

Prayer
Creator God, I long to be seen and known by you. I trust that you are loving enough to accept all that you will find. I trust that you formed me – and will go on forming me – to be fully human. Amen.

Bible notes author: The Revd Val Reid
Val Reid is a retired presbyter who lives in Salisbury. She is a reflective supervisor and spiritual director, and has recently trained as a mediator with Place for Hope.