Longing for God Amidst Turmoil
Reflections on Psalm 42 and the Battle of Lepanto
Longing for God Amidst Turmoil
The soundtrack to Acts of the Apostles consists of 10 songs, each based on a Bible verse. With so many beautiful verses to choose from, there was a great deal of debate internally among our team. But one of my favorites is Psalm 42, the author cries out with a heart heavy with longing for God.
For some reason, this verse has always brought to mind the epic Battle of Lepanto, which I eluded to in this earlier blog post.
"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" (Psalm 42:1-2)
These words will resonate deeply with those who find themselves in the midst of crisis, or with discomfort and without support. The author speaks from a place of spiritual exile, yearning for God's presence as he faces external chaos and internal despair. This longing for God and the hope of His deliverance parallels the mindset of the Christian forces of the Holy League in the days leading up to the Battle of Lepanto.
Psalm 42 and the Christian Spirit of Resistance
The Holy League was a coalition of Christian states formed to defend Christendom from the encroaching Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. By 1571, the Ottoman forces had swept through Albania, razing villages and cities, and forcing the native population to convert to die. The Ottomans had a particular hatred for the Albanians, as their conquests were held off for half a century by the fearsome King of Albania, Skanderbeg, himself once a muslim who converted to Christianity and was dubbed the “Champion of Christ” by the pope in Rome.
Indeed, the Ottomans had most recently conquered Cyprus as well, brutally taunting the Christian forces with their apparent invincibility. The fall of Nicosia and Famagusta, marked by horrific violence and the desecration of sacred spaces, leaving a profound sense of loss and uncertainty among the Christians. With Venice under threat, to most Christians it seemed all but inevitable that all of Christian Europe would to fall into the hands of Ottoman Grand Admiral Ali Pasha.
Much like the author of Psalm 42, the members of the Holy League faced an overwhelming enemy and a spiritual crisis. They surely felt abandoned at times, crying out to God for intervention, and susceptible to the taunting of the Ottomans, who cried out, “Where is your God now?”.
The tragic fate of Marcantonio Bragadin, a Venetian commander, in 1571 sealed the deal. He was surrounded and surrendered under certain conditions, but the Ottomans betrayed their deal and brutally executed him. The details are gory and out of scope for this entry, but his death served as a wakeup call and rallying cry for Christian forces in their subsequent fight against the Ottomans.
“My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:10)
Yet, in their despair, the Christians remembered the faithfulness of God, just as the author declares:
"These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng." (Psalm 42:4)
This act of remembering God's past faithfulness gave the psalmist strength to persevere, and it surely gave the Holy League the courage to sail toward Lepanto with faith.
Taunted by the Enemy
The Ottoman Empire, at the height of its power, loomed as a terrifying force, much like the waves the psalmist describes:
"Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me." (Psalm 42:7)
For the Christians, the Ottomans were like these unrelenting waves, sweeping across Europe, seemingly unstoppable. The psychological warfare of their conquests—mocking the Christians and desecrating churches. This only added to the burden of those who stood in defense of their faith. Yet, just as the author clung to the promise of God's deliverance, the Christian forces turned to prayer and trust in divine providence.
The Role of Prayer and Faith
On the eve of the Battle of Lepanto, October 7, 1571, Pope Pius V called upon all Christians to pray the Rosary for victory. This collective act of faith was mirrored on the ships of the Holy League, where soldiers and sailors knelt in prayer. They knew they were outnumbered and facing a formidable enemy, but their hope lay not in their own strength but in God’s intervention.
The author’s refrain echoes their resolve:
"Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." (Psalm 42:5)
This trust in God bore fruit. Against all odds, the Holy League achieved a decisive victory, halting the Ottoman advance and preserving Christendom. Many attributed this victory to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated as Our Lady of the Rosary on the battle’s anniversary.
Lessons for Us Today
Psalm 42 and the story of Lepanto remind us that even in our darkest moments—when enemies taunt us, when waves of despair threaten to overwhelm us—we are called to remember God’s faithfulness. Whether facing personal trials or standing firm in the face of cultural and spiritual challenges, we, like the psalmist and the Holy League, can find strength in God’s presence and promises.
As the psalmist writes, "By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life" (Psalm 42:8). This assurance carried the Holy League through the storm of battle, and it can carry us through our struggles today.
Let us draw inspiration from Psalm 42 and the courage of the Christian forces at Lepanto. Their faith reminds us that even when the enemy seems insurmountable, God’s power is greater, His love unshakable, and His deliverance sure. Like them, we are called to persevere, to pray, and to trust in the victory that comes from Him alone.