An online dictionary defines lament as “a passionate
expression of grief or sorrow.” As a verb, “to mourn” is perhaps the closest
synonym of “to lament.” It is a word to be used in reaction to deeply
distressing situations.
However, I found from recent use of “Google Alerts,” that “lament”
is now widely used as an expression of sadness over some things that are of no
major importance, such as the loss of an athletic contest.
Properly used, though, lament is the expression of grief
over great loss, such as by death, destruction, or disaster—such as experienced
by so many Ukrainians since the end of February.
Here is part of the opening “prayer of lament” used at the
March 19 meeting:
We recognize patterns
of privilege and systems of discrimination.
Hear our lament, O God.
We see your creation destroyed by carelessness and greed.
Hear our lament, O God.
We weep for the war in Ukraine, for victims of violence.
Hear our lament, O God.
We weep for the families forced to separate because of war.
Hear our lament, O
God.
And now, on a much smaller scale, we lament for the families
and friends of those fatally shot in Buffalo, NY, on May 14.
The importance and prevalence of lament in the Bible
is often overlooked. It is not surprising that the happy, hopeful passages are
more often quoted. But, in reality, expressions of lament are frequent in the
Bible.
Psalms, the hymnbook of the Old Testament, includes many psalms
of lament, including Psalm 22, which Jesus quoted on the cross as he was being
executed: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (v. 1).
Lamentations is one of the (little-read) books of the Old
Testament. In it, the writer (traditionally considered to be Jeremiah), “paints
a portrait of utter devastation and appalling suffering: starvation, disease,
slaughter, rape, scavenging, looting, and the desecration of holy things.”*
The five chapters of Lamentations depressingly portray the calamities
experienced by the Israelites after the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. But in
the midst of all the lamenting, there are two verses that many people know and
deeply appreciate.
Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “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” (KJV).
From those verses came the much-beloved hymn “Great is Thy
Faithfulness” (1923) which has been sung often for nearly 100 years now.
Also, while the word lament is not used, a closely related
idea is found in the New Testament as one of the Beatitudes spoken by Jesus
declares, “Blessed are those who mourn” (Matthew 5:4).
Lament is of great importance for people who are
suffering substantial loss—as well as for those who suffer in solidarity with
such people.
When we are experiencing catastrophic circumstances, lament
is highly appropriate. We don’t need people telling us to cheer up or suggest some
quick fix for our felt grief.
Even in public worship, there needs to be time for lamenting
as well as for rejoicing.
It is also important to lament for others—such as for those
in Ukraine and in Buffalo, as well as so many others suffering in various places
around the world.
As one writer explains, “Lament is a participation in the
pain of others.” And, “Lament is not only for the suffering; it is for solidarity
with the suffering. We love our neighbor when we allow their experience of pain
to become the substance of our prayer.”**
Even when we ourselves are happy/content, love for others obliges us to lament with those who aren’t. If we don’t often lament in times like these, doesn’t that indicate a serious deficiency in our love/empathy?
_____
* From “Lamentations: A Bottle for the Tears of the World,” a book review of Christopher J.H. Wright’s book The Message of Lamentations (2015), accessible here.
** From Five
Things to Know about Lament” by Glenn Packiam.
.jpg)