It is tempting, when difficult things happen, to try and explain why, to point to God’s agency or motive for setting things upon us. While we can, and often do learn things from our hardships, “In God all things work for good”, It is not our main call as Christians to explain away the terrible things. In fact, I think, we tend to use this as a means to avoid wrestling with our own feelings, or acknowledging the wrongness of situation. Perhaps we feel that if we were to complain, it would show a lack of faith—show that we don’t think God is good, or in control…
But, Christianity offers us a way to lament that leads to hope. What is lament? A lament is actually praise, It is a proof of relationship, It is a type of prayer, It is participation in the pain of others It is a type of prayer: Lament in the Bible is not simply an outlet for our frustrations. It is a form of prayer. Many of the laments in the psalms are calls to action. They plead with God to pay attention to them and to act on their behalf. And, in so doing, they turn to praise—praising God for being a God of justice and righteousness, for being faithful in the past. They appeal to God for help on the grounds of God’s unfailing love. Laments bring all the pain before God. And then they turn to praise—reminding of God’s promise which we see in Christ—that death never gets the last word. That life, and goodness, and light will win. Goodness is stronger than evil; Love is stronger than hate; Light is stronger than darkness; Life is stronger than death; Our lament is our living, active, bold relationship with God. It is also our solidarity with each other, with the earth, with all who are hurting. By trusting God enough so as to share our vulnerability, we open ourselves up to the healing power of Christ—we open ourselves to the presence of the one who stands with us in lament. By crying out to God, who we know stands against the death, suffering, and pain in the world, we show our faith in the victory of Jesus Christ over death. In that faith, may God work on our hearts and make us to be bearers of Christ’s light for the world. May our lament be a path to hope, and our hope show the light of his kingdom. In lament, we bring our frustrations and grief before God, then with each small step we are able to take forward, we become Jesus’ visible presence in the world. We become the sign of God at work even amidst the trouble of the world. I love the lines from this hymn, that to me express that very thought: When the poor ones who have nothing are still giving When the thirsty pass the cup, water to share When the wounded offer others strength and healing We see God, here by our side, walking our way. Lament is not our final prayer. It is a prayer in the meantime. Because Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, we know that sorrow is not how the story ends. Light is stronger than darkness; Life is stronger than death; The sorrow may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning! We lift our lament to God, and we trust in the victory of Christ over the powers of death. With shouts of “Hallelujah” we move forward, together, seeing God here, by our side, in one another, walking our way. Comments are closed.
|
AuthorRev. Chris Sesvold is currently the pastor at Halfway Creek Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Holmen, WI. Archives
October 2021
Categories |