Lament

I have been intending to write on lament for some time, but when ever I sat down to write a post on lament, I had the sense that there was something lacking in my understanding. While I thought that I had a grip on historical Biblical lament as found in the Psalms, I needed to break out of the box to complete the conceptual transfer to pastoral ministry.

In this past month I have jumped out of the academic world into pastoral ministry. This first month has been deeply challenging. Specifically (but devoid of details) I have watched people face the loss of a love one. While age catches up with all of us, this individual was younger than I am. The reality of the pain and suffering experienced in this world became poignant if not pungent.

My struggle with lament is this, if Biblical lament such as the Psalmist’s is directly connected with the covenant and rightful covenantal expectations, what is appropriate lament for the Christian?

The Psalmist’s complaint (such as Psalm 44 for one) is not just complaining about life, it is a complaint rooted in  covenantal expectations. This leads to the question, what part of, if any, do these covenantal expectations apply to the Church today? How does this relate to suffering and loss in our context?

The quick answer is that we must turn to the New Covenant. This leads to the next question of what is our rightful expectations under the New Covenant. I do wonder if the common expectations of North American Christian’s really line up with what Jesus promised. A quick read of the Sermon on the Mount casts some doubt in my mind.

Setting aside such broad generalities, allow me to return to a somewhat more specific lament event, the suffering of illness and loss.

The New Covenant does not promise that we will not suffer. Suffering is part of the human experience in this present life. While the sting of death is gone, the reality of it is not. People suffer, be it physically or emotionally. Life is messy and not always pleasant. What the New Covenant does promise is that in the resurrection suffering is no more.

 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (ESV, Revelation 21:3-4)

The Psalmist’s laments would have us acknowledge above all else that God is God and we are not. The laments often look forward to a sure resolution cast in stone, but not necessarily fully realized by the Psalmist. This is the now and not yet that we live in. Yet, God knows a glorious future that He only gives us a teasing glimpse of.

Like the Psalmist, when faced with troubling questions, the unanswered “why”, the “how long” we must turn to God in faith, looking to the ultimate fulfillment of the New Covenant. We ought to join with the Psalmist in his lament and cry out,

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 (Psalm 13:5-6).

Yet the Christian lament goes beyond even a declaration of trust. The closing verses of the book of Revelation provide the final word on lament.

“Come Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).

This is the Christian lament.