Lament

From political scandals to environmental disasters to the opioid crisis to the seemingly shrinking voice of the church in society, there is plenty to lament these days. When I open my facebook feed there is a steady stream of complaint and anger and frustration.

Lament about how things aren’t as they should be (and for Christians, about how things aren’t as God intended and Christ modeled for us) is nothing new. Even Jesus lamented as He looked out over Jerusalem, wishing the people wouldn’t so stubbornly stop Him from helping them. God is used to hearing our lament, and the entire book of Lamentations is about lament of the people being confronted with their sins that led to the destruction of Jerusalem and their estrangement from God.

Lament is healthy and a spiritual practice. It gives a voice to feelings we might think aren’t “nice” for Christians to have. But Jesus not only lamented, He got angry at injustice, at dishonesty, at hypocrisy and at oppression. God could handle those big emotions and can handle ours. And it’s right for us to feel upset about those things that break the heart of God. The challenge is to not get stuck there.

It is tempting for us to wallow, to complain and to slide into despair. But the role of lament is to grieve what is not right, to voice it to God, and to use the emotions we feel as fuel to work towards righting what is wrong. It won’t look the same for all of us, but it may involve signing petitions, doing acts of mercy to the least, showing up at protests, raising funds and gathering supplies, writing to politicians, serving in leadership to enact change, going on a pilgrimage to gain understanding, teaching about the issues, or looking deep within to what we need to change in our own habits and attitudes that contributes to the pain around us.

This week our feet are turning towards Jerusalem. Jesus’ belief in His mission would draw Him to the most dangerous place possible in order to prove the overwhelming goodness and self-sacrificing nature of God. In doing so, God would overturn the very power of evil itself. The events of much of the week were ugly, but they resulted in the eternal hope that we cling to even now.

As we ponder the small role we are called to play in living out God’s vision for the world, we need to hang on to the big picture. We need to be open to what Jesus needs of us to help heal the wounds of others. May this week of preparation for Holy Week draw us into the story and remind us of just how much Christ loved the world and how much we should too.