The Necessity and Possibility of Lament

Lamenting is critical in times of crisis. Lament psalms give voice to our suffering and disorientation and are vital dialogues to restore our sense of agency and hope. Far from being merely a private expression, or a part of a communal liturgy, lament is a powerful public critique that shapes our discipleship and citizenship, thus forming a core dynamic of renewal. Creational desolation, injustice and economic deprivation are rooted in a poverty of relationship and poor stewardship. In our supplication to God, we express our yearnings for His intervention in interrupting the present and reconfiguring the future. It demands a deeper listening, a genuine mourning and a desire to be reshaped and redirected in our un-knowing. Thus, lamenting constitutes the beginning of new realities as it calls for a redesigning through divine intervention. It is at the core of our vocation and collective citizenship as we aim for an emerging future with a greater measure of human and creational flourishing. Biblical and contemporary examples exemplify the powerful nature of a politics of lament.