“LAMENT” BY CONNIE BUTLER
How long, Lord? Will you be angry forever?
Will your rage keep burning like fire?
Pour out your wrath on nations that reject you,
on kingdoms that do not call on your name,
For they have devoured Jacob,
laid wast to his home.
Help us, God our savior,
for the glory of your name.
Deliver us, pardon our sins,
for your name’s sake.
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Before our eyes make clear to the nations
that you avenge the blood of your servants.
Lord, inflict on our neighbors sevenfold
the disgrace that they inflicted on you.
Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
through all ages we will declare your praise. Ps 79, 5-7; 10; 12-13
Readings like this can make us uncomfortable. Ingrained proscriptions against complaining to God about Divine absence in times of trial and asking for vengeance to be visited on our enemies can make praying this Psalm difficult. Aren’t we supposed to forgive those who hurt us? Aren’t our words to God supposed to be words of praise and thanksgiving? Doesn’t this make us seem to be, well…whiners?
Not really. This is a Psalm of Lament, and lamenting is something many of us do not do well, even though it is a natural and healthy expression of feeling. Lament is a cry of grief that grows out of something done to us, something that is unfair, unjust. When we lament, we go straight to God and don’t pull any punches.
“Where have you been when I needed you?” we might ask. “Are you going to be mad at me forever?” “Don’t let my enemies gloat. We both look bad.” “Maybe I have done things I shouldn’t, but I don’t deserve THIS.” “Make my enemies suffer; I want revenge.”
This seems downright unchristian, but it is honest. Sometimes we ARE angry about what life throws our way, and despite prayers and petitions, God doesn’t seem very concerned. It makes us mad. God can handle mad, but when we keep it bottled up inside of us, too proper to express what we really feel, we suffer.
Psalms of Lament show us the way to talk with God about these feelings. First, we remember that God is a personal God we can talk to, or yell at. God cares about us.
Then we spill out our anger. How can this happen to me? We can rant as long as we need to. We can ask for vengeance. Knowing that someone who caused us pain is going to suffer for it can relieve anguish, or so it seems. It feels good when anger spews out of hearts that are deeply hurt and confused.
But after ranting for awhile, we realize our energy is waning. I often end up crying and am spent. It is then that I hear what I have been saying. I reconsider. I know the Holy One loves me. I don’t want to hurt others, really. I just want the hurting in my heart to stop. I want God to fix it somehow.
Eventually the Psalmist turns to praise and thanksgiving. God is Good and Compassionate. In the end, we have to trust in that Compassion. That is easier to do once we have been honest about our pain and anger.
If you have not been comfortable with Psalms of Lament, or Lament, this Lent, try incorporating it into your prayer © 2010 Mary van Balen
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