From 1970 through 1975 I was involved in a Christian ministry to the “unhoused and unhinged” (the latter occasionally included me). One portion of that ministry was a Saturday evening coffeehouse featuring free sandwiches, hot drinks, Christian music, and an informal Gospel message. The coffeehouse was in a then-dilapidated section of the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C., on M Street near Key Bridge. Even in 1970, parking near the coffeehouse was almost impossible. But soon I found a secret parking place one block away (and 75 steps up) on Prospect Street.
After the filming of The Exorcist in 1973, that stairway became known as the “Exorcist Stairway”. In those days, I was oblivious to potential danger in that tunnel style passage while hurrying to my car alone after midnight.
Down in the daytime
Up at night
In retrospect, I marveled at God’s protection in this, and in other situations as well. I usually drove solo in my VW Bug, or walked alone through various neighborhoods in that metro area. God and his angels invisibly hovered over me: whether I was at work, engaged in explicitly Christian activities, “walking through the valley of the shadow of death” in other iffy zones, partaking in a meal in a prestigious setting, or enjoying the multitude of our nation’s monuments, museums and galleries.
Although I didn’t sing Psalm 121 during my ascent up the Exorcist Stairs or during other chancy sojourns, my appreciation for God’s bulletproof shield increased whenever I meditated on this scripture:
Psalm 121, A Song of Ascents (NET)
I look up toward the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD, the Creator of heaven and earth.
May he not allow your foot to slip.
May your Protector not sleep.
Look! Israel’s Protector does not sleep or slumber.
The LORD is your protector; the LORD is the shade at your right hand.
The sun will not harm you by day, or the moon by night.
The LORD will protect you from all harm; he will protect your life.
The LORD will protect you in all you do, now and forevermore.
The word “protect” in this version of Psalm 121 is also interpreted as “watch over”, “guard”, and “keep” in other bible translations. Which of those words best characterizes God’s unseen presence throughout your daily life and your occasional brushes with danger — even if you aren’t doing anything intentionally risky?
If you don’t already watch over something or someone on a regular basis, this week try doing an activity using unusually close supervision for a limited period of time. One of my devotional writing teammates suggested watching an ant farm. But it might be more convenient to watch over a child, a pet, backyard wildlife, or your dinner as it cooks (old warning: “a watched pot never boils”).
Review: Did you find such intense watching exhausting? God never tires of protecting you.
by Kathleen Petersen
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