By Marc Gafni
By Marc GafniKing David, the biblical author of Psalms, perhaps the greatest spiritual poetry every written, is walking by the river lost in ecstasy. In this state, he cries out, “God, tell me – is there anyone that has ever praised you as much as I?”
At that moment, a frog fantastically exclaims to him, “Be not so proud, David, for I have done more than you. You sing to God on occasion – I sing to God with every croak.”
The point is that we are not alone in our song. The symphony of the spirit includes the instrument of every creature on the face of the planet. We were born to make our music and we cannot do it well enough without every other member of the band.
David himself picks up this theme explicitly in Psalms. The following in Stephen Mitchell’s wonderful adaptation of Psalm 148:
Praise God upon the Earth
Whales and all the creatures of the sea
Fire hail snow and frost
Hurricanes fulfilling his command
Mountains and barren hills
Fruit trees and cedar forests
Wild animals and tame
Reptiles insects and birds
Creatures invisible to the eye
And tiniest one cell beings
Rich and poor, powerful
And oppressed, dark skinned and light skinned
Men and women alike
Old and young together
David the Psalmist sees us as part of the great song of being and not as a species who dwells alone. The frog has taught him well!
Dr. Marc Gafni
The Erotic and the Holy