“If it were possible to cure evils by lamentation and to raise the dead with tears, then gold would be a less valuable thing than weeping.” –Sophocles
LAMENT is a passionate expression of grief or sorrow; of regret or disappointment; a complaint. The Book of Lamentations in the Old Testament, was written by Jeremiah, who is described as the weeping prophet. Throughout his writings, he grieved over the wickedness of the people,
their rebellion, and the judgment they had brought upon themselves. Lamentations can be songs, poems, or a piece of music used to express these same deep feelings. I’ve had several friends reach out to see how I’m doing after the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arberry, and the subsequent unrest and response with even more deaths and injury. The words have sometimes escaped me. My greatest disappointment is with the Church, which should be a light for the Kingdom of God, its statutes and values, in this darkness. The Apostle John said, “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19) Jesus warned us to ‘take heed, or “make certain that the light that is in you is not darkness.” (Luke 11:35) Paul warned that “false apostles, and deceitful workers would masquerade as apostles of Christ, And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.” (2 Cor. 11:13-15) My posture has been to pray, ask God for forgiveness and repentance, to try to love everyone-even my enemies, and to speak Kingdom Truth into chaos. Still, this whole scenario is sad. I am grieved by: the continued history of injustice, murder, and racism that has plagued this generation and so many before it; the economic and militaristic oligarchy (rule by a small group) that is rising; the misuse of Christianity for political and personal gain; and the segregation, conflict and division in what is supposed to be One Body in Christ. Growing up, we used to sing a stirring song based on the lamentation below: It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore I will hope in Him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentations 3:22-26)
Weeping is an often neglected expression of emotion that connects us with God and one another. At times such as this, it’s really necessary, but sometimes our feelings..particularly anger and hurt, are so buried that we can’t summon up tears. I cannot describe how it feels to be hated, thought less of, dehumanized, and in danger just because you exist and your skin is of a darker hue. The question, “Why do they hate us so much?” arises more often than I’d like to admit. (I know there are those who don’t.) It is particularly painful as history points to the kinds of things that have been done to us since we were brought here. Evil, wickedness, and sin are alive and well. The lusts of the flesh and eyes and the pride of life continue to be all that’s in this world. It’s a wonder that the LORD still has mercy on us. We are definitely not getting what we deserve. Yet every day we get new mercies. Every day we get another chance to do things better. So my soul hopes and waits for Him.
