You can find today’s reflection on the theme of Lament from The Visual Commentary on Scripture here.
I was struck by this section:
Laments express sorrow, anger, and frustration in the wake of catastrophe. Weaving together themes of loss, suffering, memory, vengeance, forgiveness, hope, and healing, laments perform a fractured identity.
My friend undertaking his PhD on Lament would probably agree that Lament is about more than sitting with the sorrow, anger, frustration, grief, loss, important though it is to really feel our way through and recognise these emotions. The “more” is the “forgiveness, hope, and healing” mentioned above. Lament has an element of catharsis about it. We deeply express our sadness but there is also a hope that we will get through it which somehow catches the drift of God’s hope for us. We meet in the middle as the Lament transforms our circumstances and brings us to new life. As we approach Holy Week and Easter, perhaps there’s something to ponder here. If we don’t enter into the Lament, how do we authentically enter the deep hope of Easter Day?
Here’s some wonderful music, an elegiac tribute to a friend which seems to contain both grief and hope at once – a true Lament?
Place of Wondering 