I’m currently reading through Lamentations, an ancient Jewish book about mourning over the loss of one’s country. Lamentations doesn’t exist in a vacuum. A key tenet of the ancient Israelites is complaining.
Sometimes it’s ridiculous, like whining about how they would rather go back into slavery only moments after the Israelites had been miraculously rescued from Egypt. Other times, it makes a lot of sense, like the laments of Job after losing his family, livelihood and health. Sometimes, the Bible can be unbelievably emo, like in darkest text of the Bible, Psalm 31, where the poet notes “the darkness is my closest friend.”
Jeremiah has two key features that convince me that the Bible is a unique book of supernatural origins. First is prophecy-that is, negative prophecy against the main characters, the Israelites. Second is the laments themselves, seemingly unresolved cries to God, mourning for what he has allowed to happen. Living in a world where history is written by the winners, these factors show that the Bible is more than just a self-justifying religious text, but a unique collection of conversations on the heartbreaking reality of life.
I am thankful for the lamentations of my faith, because I have my own heartbreaks and complaints. I have days I just feel emo, and disasters I just can’t reconcile. Lamentations give me the permission to lay these before God, the peace that he knows I feel, and the humility to wait for him to explain it to me.
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