Lament

I am sitting and listening o Pastor John speak about Lament and how important it is in our spiritual journey.  This is definitely a time of lament.

One thing I notice is that we all hate complainers and can find so many reasons that stop ourselves from complaining. There are so many people who have it so much worse - there are people who are sick, whose family members have the virus.  There are those who have lost jobs.  There are those whose jobs put them at risk.   All of this is true.

However, it is also true that this time of sheltering in place can be hard and even painful. 
There are people who are very anxious, or lonely,  or grieving, or feeling great emotional, family, economic stress. We are aware of the corruption of the world as leaders act in divisive ways and we wonder if the powerful financial forces are taking advantage of the "little people."  We lament not only because of our own situation but the injustice that we so often just take for granted.  I have found myself just feeling sad at times that I can't even put a finger on what is really the matter.  It is a difficult time.

And so, let us lament.  That is to say :  come to God with our heartache, our sorrow, our confusion, our despair. It is our awareness that all is NOT well in our lives and in our world.   And know that God hears us and in giving speech to lament there is healing. And there is the beginning of the changes that have to happen.

I will end with Psalm 13 - a Psalm of Lament

13 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
² How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

³ Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
⁴ lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

⁵ But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
⁶ I will sing to the Lord,
    because he has dealt bountifully with me.