January 18th, 2021
Psalm 86; 1 Samuel 9:27–10:8; 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1
Psalms of Lament are personally unfamiliar to those of use who grew up in an evangelical church, indeed in much of Protestantism in general. And yet they make up a massive amount of the Psalms, which has been the lifeblood of the Church for centuries. Part of why I love the lectionary is because it forces me to confront areas of the Bible that I am unfamiliar with personally.
Psalms of Lament do not question God’s existence nor do they showcase unfaithfulness. If they are unfamiliar to you as well, they may strike you with their bluntness and aggression towards God. Laments draw attention to the injustices of the world, both in one’s individual life and on a larger scale. They point to the tension of evil in the face of a good God. This tension cannot exist without the presence of a good God.
The Bible is not ill-equipped for questions about evil and suffering, but it does not give us the clean and simple answer that many of us want. We may ask the question: How can evil and a good powerful God both exist? The Bible does not answer this question. Not directly anyway.
It says: Evil and a good God exist. How can we move forward in such a world? Lament is not the only response to evil in the world, in fact the main response would be partnering with God to confront and extinguish evil in the world. But there are times when only lament is appropriate. In those times I take comfort knowing I don’t have to go beyond the Bible to find words for what I am feeling. God meets us where we are.
