If ever there were a time for lament, perhaps now is the time.
As this goes to print, we are either still in lockdown, just out of lockdown, or are perhaps about to go into another lockdown, all the while trying to come to terms with the past year of personal and global uncertainty.
Experiencing the repercussions of all that Covid-19 has brought for us and our church communities will most certainly lead us to grief at one point or another, probably alongside a whole host of other emotions including fear, frustration and confusion. But how do we process these feelings? What does it look like to grieve over all that has happened? What is the Christian response to the pain and fear that surrounds us?
Well, learning to lament is a good place to start.
The heart of lament
There is a wonderful verse from Hosea 7:14 where the Lord says: ‘They do not cry out to me from their hearts, but wait on their beds’. This succinctly highlights the dramatic difference between the normal human response of crying over things that are hard or bad or sad, and the distinctly Christian response of crying out to the Lord Himself. There are many things that rightly provoke tears. But, as believers, we do not simply cry into our pillow, or to a friend, or with a counsellor. We cry out to the Lord – we lament.
This is deeply Biblical. As you begin to look for it, you see the encouragement and model to lament throughout Scripture. From Job to Jeremiah, from Daniel to David, and of course our Lord Jesus – who lamented over Jerusalem, over death, over the cross.
We even have a whole book called Lamentations, and it was a surprise to me to learn that over a third of the Psalms can be classified as laments! These divinely-given examples invite us to cry out to the Lord in our frustrations, fears and tears. But the purpose of lament is not simply to get things off our chest or to vent emotion. It is the means by which we draw close to God in difficult times, deepening our intimacy with Him, and ultimately renewing our trust in Him. Lament always has this purpose in mind.
How do I lament?
While the Psalms depict all sorts of emotions and situations, Mark Vroegop (in his book Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy) describes how the psalms of lament often have four elements in common.
First, there is a turning to God and addressing Him – acknowledging who you are calling out to. Psalm 13 puts it like this: ‘Consider me and answer me, O Lord my God’ (Ps.13:3).
Second, there is a complaint – honestly and vulnerably telling the Lord the reasons for your grief that is often full of ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions: ‘How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I … have sorrow in my heart?’ (v.1-2).
Third, there is a request – boldly, unashamedly and humbly asking God to act: ‘Light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death … lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken’ (v.3-4).
Fourth, there is an expression of trust or praise – a deliberate recalling of God’s promises and a decision to commit ourselves to Him: ‘But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me’ (v.5-6).
Turning to the Lord, a complaint, a request, an expression of trust or praise – this is the destination of all laments. It may take us a while to get there, we may have to keep coming back time and time again, but we are journeying towards joy. And while lament may not necessarily lead you to answers, it will lead you to a person: the Lord Jesus, who was described as ‘a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief’ (Isa. 53:3). And as you pray the psalms of lament, you are praying with Jesus Himself – the One who will never leave or forsake you. The One whose love is steadfast, and the One who has, and will, deal bountifully with us.
