Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I said to the Lord, you are my Lord. Apart from you I have no good thing. As for the saints who are in the Land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. Psalm 16:1-3 NIV and RSV

I wonder why the writer of this Psalm asked for God to keep him safe then immediately proclaimed how delighted he was in other people of God. For years this annoyed me and I grumbled in my mind to the author, “You obviously don’t know the saints I know.” Why did this author wreck an otherwise amazing chapter with this line?

Over the years I have gradually come to see that my spiritual life can only develop so far if I limit it to God and I. My spirituality got honed on the sharp edges of others, as I learned and am still learning patience, self-control, gentleness, perseverance, and unselfish love. And I am happy to say that I have and continue to provide that same service for others.

But I also learned about love, joy and peace from other believers. I also feel a sense of safety and support from the saints who are in the land even though I do not see them as the moment. I know whatever things come our way, we are in this together.

But delight is a feeling beyond growth, safety and love. It comes from a Latin word that means to charm. The gh was added in the 16th century by the association with light. I find that delight comes when we really see the otherness of people. We can be delighted we when we see them from the light of the eyes of God. We can be in awe of the variety of human personalities on this planet as we all search for the Transcendent.