Lament

The past few weeks have been devastating around our state. Tornadoes and floods wreaked havoc, raising the questions about where God is and why our reality often does not fit our expectations of faith. For many, this crisis leads to a rejection of faith. But for so many of us, we have been trained to put on a happy face and sing “praises” without any complaining. But is there a place for honesty with God? The book of Psalms contains several very honest prayers called Lament Psalms given out of times of distress, frustration, despondency and even anger toward God. It is out of the place of complete honesty and transparency with God that depth in relationship often takes place. These Psalms both give us permission to be deeply honest in our conversation with God and provide a model for doing that.