² The LORD looks down from heaven
       on the human race
       to see if there are any who understand,
       any who seek God.

    ³ All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
       there is no one who does good,
       not even one.

    ⁴ Do all these evildoers know nothing?
       They devour my people as though eating bread;
       they never call on the LORD.

    ⁵ But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
       for God is present in the company of the righteous.

    ⁶ You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
       but the LORD is their refuge.

    ⁷ Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
       When the LORD restores his people,
       let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

The insight that the youth offer when we go through this exercise is always a wonder to me. This evening was no different. I appreciated all of the feedback particularly when one youth was reminded of his recent watching of the movie Watchmen. He said he imagined God as a superhero looking down on a city and seeing only corruption…finally in exasperation he sets aside his superhero status and joins the people in the city. This is of course what God has done as He took on human flesh in Christ and became humanity as part of His covenant plan to redeem all of creation. As the Gospel of John 1:9-11 says:

"The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him."

And further to the verses from John, Paul’s letter to the Philippians verses 5-8 says:

     ⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same attitude of mind Christ Jesus had:

    ⁶ Who, being in very nature God,
       did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

    ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
       by taking the very nature of a servant,
       being made in human likeness.

    ⁸ And being found in appearance as a human being,
       he humbled himself
       by becoming obedient to death—
       even death on a cross!

I love that even from a single Psalm we can detect God’s plan and how it has unfolded and continues to unfold. I appreciate their insight.