Lament: The Cry from the Wilderness

Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.
Psalm 22:11, ESV

In our journey through this life, we will all at some point find ourselves in a wilderness. Wilderness is a place of loss, loneliness, and lament. We all face loss and loneliness as relationships come and go, as we travel our course around the cycle of life, birth leading to death. What do we do when we face loss? How do we express our loneliness? The answer - lament! Lament is the honest expression of loss and sorrow to God.

In our culture of selfies and social media posts of a life curated to ensure that all know we are living the good life, we have lost the language of lament. We first hear the sounds of lament in the Garden of Eden when one bite leads to a barrenness for all creatures and all of creation. The cry of lament runs throughout the Scriptures and every season of human history. We hear it in the wails of God’s chosen people in the verses of the book of Lamentations, in the words of the psalmist, and from the lips of the Lord as He hangs upon the cross. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, ESV) These painful and poignant passages provide a model for our sorrow and point us to the Savior who is with us in our pain.

You see, the forsaken One has promised that He will “never leave or forsake us”. This promise assures us that when our world is falling apart, the One who created and holds all things together is holding us in His arms of love.

These promises are fresh on my mind this week as I faced a loss in my life. My constant companion and cherished chihuahua, Honey, passed away last Monday. He had been beside me every morning during prayer for almost 15 years. He had helped to write every sermon and had heard them all when they were still a work in progress. Eleanor reminded me that Honey was even present for my first zoom interview with her when I was interviewing to be considered as the next rector for Christ Church. For those who, like me love dogs, you understand the hole that has been left in my heart. However, I also recognize that those years were a gift from the Lord. It is also the Lord who now comforts me and reminds me that He remains. I can bring my tears and pain to Him as He had not departed. He is with me in my loss, He is present to my loneliness, and He hears my cries of lament.

I share this moment so you will know that, if you are facing loss, you are not alone. You have me, a fellow pilgrim, who understands. We have a Savior who is present and who pours out His peace. As we set our eyes on Christ and lay our cries at the foot of the Cross, He will bring beauty from the broken.

Father Keith

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