Have you ever read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?

It’s a fun and funny romp across the universe, an absurdist piece of science fiction. At one point one character asks the computer named Deep Thought what “the meaning of life, the universe and everything” is, and the answer they get is: “forty-two.”

On the other hand, Forty-Two as a psalm is the opposite of absurd. It’s a psalm of longing, as the author pines for God’s presence and care.

As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.

-Psalm 42:1-2a (NRSVUE)

It’s a lovely pastoral image of nature at peace.

It’s a reminder of what we look like when we’re at our best: calm, serene, and contemplative. If you close your eyes, you can almost see the deer and hear the burbling water.

The world has not been acting that way lately, so I’d recommend Psalm 42 to you now more than ever. I hope you’ll review it and let me know if it raises any questions for you. It’s a wonderful poem, and a handy focus for your prayer time this week. You can find the complete text at this link.