To lament is to express deep regret, grief, or sorrow. We can lament through words or actions. Lamenting is a common theme in the Bible. Which is why there is an Old Testament book named Lamentations. In it we see that God has given us an entire book of the Bible that teaches us how to navigate the valley of sorrow and loss.
The book of Lamentations is a house for sorrow and a school for compassion. Studying this book will help you better understand what it means to grieve and hope at the same time. It will help you be better equipped to live and serve in a suffering world, and it will encourage you to meet Christ on the path of sorrow.
Comments
I love and appreciate this study of a book in Scripture we have too long neglected. Science and the wisdom of mental health counselors bear out one major point in the study, the body keeps the score. According to two very helpful books, Anxiety; The Missing Stage of Grief and Redeeming Heartache, we experience everything from panic attacks to high blood pressure, headaches, and more serious digestive and heart-related issues. One thing I especially appreciated about this study was how we relate to grief as the body of Christ. In encouraging us to weep with those who weep, and to sit with the silence of God in the Book of Lamentations, we learn how to share our sorrow together. It is liberating for both those who are grieving and caregivers that we don’t have to quote the right Scripture verse or offer easy cliches. Both those responses to grief, while they are well-meant, shut down conversation. In pointing out that grief has no time table, the study is also helpful. I had a friend last week whose mentally ill husband passed away five years ago. She apologized that she cried so much. I assured her she had nothing for which to apologize and that crying was OK. On the same day, another friend in the complex where I live had just lost her dad. Then there are believers who experience several deaths or losses in quick succession. Whatever our circumstances, I believe this study can dispel the misconception that grief points to weak faith.