DAY 5

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A GREETING
God, you speak and summons the earth,
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
(Psalm 50:1 TIB)

A READING
God is our refuge and our strength,
who from of old has helped us in our distress.
Therefore we fear nothing—
even if the earth should open up in front of us
and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea,
even if the earth’s waters rage and foam
and the mountains tumble with its heaving.
(Psalm 46:1-3 TIB)

MUSIC
Sung in Medieval Icelandic, the longer version of the song is our prayer below.

A MEDITATIVE VERSE
Be still and know that I am God.
(Psalm 46:10)

A PRAYER
God, I call on thee to heal me.
Remember me, mild one
Most we need thee.
Drive out, O king of suns,
generous and great,
every human sorrow
from the city of the heart.
Watch over me, mild one,
Most we need thee,
truly every moment
in the world of men.
send us, son of the virgin,
good causes,
all aid is from thee,
in my heart.
- lyrics of "Heyr himna Smi∂ur" ("Hear, Heavenly Creator")
by Kolbeinn Tumason

VERSE OF THE DAY
Then call upon me in the day of trouble— I will deliver you.
(Psalm 50:15 TIB)

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Image by Trey Ratcliff

In this first full week of Lent, we will journey along the flow of the Arctic Ocean, continuing our tour of the eight countries whose coastal boundaries face onto that sea. Southeast of Greenland, but still in the Arctic, is Iceland.

Sprengisandur is a black desert of volcanic ash and sand that makes up an uninhabitable terrain in the central east interior of Iceland. It is flanked by the nature reserves of Vatnajökull and Fjallabak to the west and east respectively, both of which include strongly contrasting environments of glaciers and mountains. Sprengisandur is only open in the summer: the extreme ice and cold in the winter and the flooding in the spring, making it impassable at other times. Even now, the only connecting road is only traversible in summer.

Meanwhile, to the southwest, is volcano territory. There are 130 active volcanoes in Iceland, though many lie inactive for long periods. Since 2021, the volcano near Svartsengi has erupted eight times, six of those times since January of 2024. The small fishing village of Grindavik has permanently evacuated, leaving a dozen residents living in a ghost town. The volcanoes are dangerous to surrounding areas as increasingly they seem able to break through the barriers that have been built to contain them. Scientists are evaluating whether melting glaciers have caused the earth to shift making volcanoes more potent.

Thus, across its width, the island has both black ash desert and mountainous volcanos. There are also hot springs and geysers that release hot water high into the air. While these don't sound like Arctic landscapes, the Arctic has a variety of topographies. Unlike the Canadian Arctic and Greeland, Iceland does not hold much interest for world superpowers, despite that it has been at the forefront of developing green energies.

In today’s music and prayer, which come from an ancient Icelandic hymn, we hear a plea to God that comes from an isolation of spirit: “the heart” is named several times as the place where healing is most sought. A wilderness can be geographic and physical, and also both. When we are caught in situations we did not create or expect, the following days can feel very much like a desert, as we navigate our options, or like a volcano, in the tumultuous emotions we feel. Jesus experiences both the emotional and the physical kinds of wilderness in his time in the desert.

The psalmist understands the combination of the external and internal worlds of trouble. Psalm 46 encourages us to be comforted in knowing that God holds us always, despite our anxieties. How can you find strength in God, the 'ground of all being?' as God continues to hold you in your anxieties?

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VOLCANO-INSPIRED ART
Olafur Eliasson is an Icelandic artist who works with volcanic glass found in lava flow. In this piece, called Your Obsidian Garden (2023), he creates a pool of volcanic glass surrounded by fabric, set in a desert in Qatar. The artist has said that he is inspired by the way in which volcanoes "exist at the threshold between the inside and outside of our planet. The earth below our feet is in constant transformation." The black sand found in Iceland is referred to as 'desert.' (Source)

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Resources in today's devotion:
Scripture passages are taken from The Inclusive Bible.
Full lyrics for Heyr Himna Smidur are found in today's prayer.
Go here to read a fuller history of the hymn.
For a primer on Icelandic volcanos and their activity, you may find this helpful.
For more on the art of Olafur Eliasson, visit his website: https://olafureliasson.net/

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LC† Streams of Living Justice is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!