The Keeper (Futbol Fever, June 2014)

Lord, I hope you are in good spirits today,
      that you will forgive me, but I can’t keep myself;
down here we are infected with Futbol Fever,
      the World Cup – a most amazing Keeper.
Keeping nations together on a patch of green,
      who more often leave land, blood red;
but for 90 minutes we set aside differences,
      to play a game that Keeps us together.

Lord, I know it’s crazy, so please forgive me,
      but I can’t help thinking of the Keepers;
that all-important position on the field,
      Keeping the ball out of goal and net.
One person surrounded by a team,
      entrusted to save every shot;
to Keep anything from going over the line
      and Keep a clean sheet for the game.

So Lord, one more time, please –
      I can hardly watch a match,
without thinking of a favorite psalm,
      and all it has to say about the Keeper.
Psalm 121, at least in my English translation,
      a traveler going up, coming or leaving,
looks up to the hills and wonders,
      where will my help come from?

The answer, of course, is you – the Lord,
      who made the sky and earth;
who is the Keeper extraordinaire,
      clean sheet after clean sheet.
Six times in the Hebrew,
     you are the one who Keeps us -
never slumbering or drifting off,
     you Keep your people.

The Lord is our Keeper,
      the shade that blocks the sun;
you Keep us from all trouble,
      you Keep our life in sturdy hands.
You Keep us Lord, now and always,
      whenever we venture out -
whenever we come back home.
      We need not fear
or worry who will Keep us?

The Lord is our Keeper;
      oh, I want to ask about
some goals the other team
      has been scoring of late.
But, for now I’ll lift my eyes to the T.V.,
      to Brazil and marvel at who is together;
and every time there is talk about a Keeper,
      I’ll think of you and give thanks
            to my Keeper.

PS: Lord, while I’m here, any chance
      you might help our keeper a little extra?

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