Rev. Dr. Wanda C. Henry-Jenkins, Contributing Writer
From a Christian perspective, God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. God is above us, always present and aware of all we are challenged to confront in the circle of life. God loves the world,[1], and desires to walk alongside us in all situations, especially when we are in any trouble and hurting as a result of a catastrophic loss or death. God is the source of all compassion and comfort.[2] God wants mourners to experience his healing love and grow in their relationship with God. God’s promise to mourners is comfort.[3] Lament is God’s pathway to holistic healing and spiritual formation. It is a spiritually sound theological/biblical practice the Church should embrace as a source of compassionate ministry to comfort the bereaved, to address grief, to promote wholistic, spiritual healing, to restore hope, and to build a deeper relationship through our Lord Jesus Christ with God, our Heavenly Father.
As a Christian body, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church is founded on the Old and New Testament scriptures. We agree with the Apostle Paul’s description concerning scripture, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” This guides how we fulfill the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ to help the lost and hurting in the church and community, empowering us to be part of a larger mission.
All loss is an integral part of the circle of life and produces grief and mourning. Physical and emotional pain needs to be acknowledged, expressed, and processed. In the biblical ancient northeast, lament was an integral part of worship and a common spiritual practice among grieving people. Lament and Lamenters (mourners), regardless of their social or economic status, were embraced and part of the community of faith. The rituals of lament had a beginning and an ending, often involving the rending of clothes, putting on sackcloth, and ashes, identifiable signs an individual was experiencing a significant loss. Such as, when Moses died, the Israelites grieved and mourned for thirty days.[4]
Biblical biographies delineate many stories of persons who lamented a loss. Jacob lamented the loss of Joseph.[5]Joseph lamented the death of Jacob.[6] Job lamented the loss of his children, wealth, and health. Jeremiah lamented Judah’s plight under the rule of invasion and takeover of King Nebuchadnezzar. King David lamented the death of his sons and the prosperity of evil people. Jesus lamented his impending suffering through crucifixion. Lament is a spiritual discipline, a biblical process, a language of sorrow and suffering, and a pathway to healing, hope, and worshipping God.
A major source of lament is present throughout the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms. Lament allowed Israel, its patriarchs, prophets, and Kings to express their feelings of loss and grief. Lament in the Scripture is a reminder that God sees, hears, and responds to the believer’s lament, providing reassurance and support. Comforting comes from God and meets the needs of grievers.
More than a third of the Psalms are laments, and many of these identify them, offering a source of strength and hope for King David’s life when he failed God.[7] Other Psalms detail how David experienced grief and mourning. He lamented for King Saul and his son Jonathan by writing “The lament of the bow.” [8] As a father, David’s anguish and sorrow over the loss of his son, Absalom, was vocal and visible.[9] The king refused to eat, sleep, or freshen up before the death of his newborn infant by Bathsheba. After the child died, David got up from the floor, washed himself, changed clothes, and worshipped God. This chronicle of King David demonstrates the progressive movement of lament, where the lamenter begins in honesty, sharing sorrow with God, and concludes in the worship of God.[10]
The Psalms provide the inspiration to comfort all who mourn. Christian mourners benefit when they read and memorize the Psalms. Psalms give words to describe sorrow and serve as a guide to move from complaint to praise, weeping to joy, and a pathway to hope and worship.[11] These Psalms affirm God is the God of lament and the God of Comfort.
[1] John 3:16a The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers., (ESV)
[2]Ibid. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV)
[3] Ibid. Matthew 5:4 (ESV)
[4] Deuteronomy 34:5-8 (ESV). The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
[5] Ibid. Genesis 37:34 (ESV).
[6] Ibid. Genesis: 50:1-10 (ESV).
[7] Psalms 51 (ESV). 2Timothy 3:16-17. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
[8] Ibid. 2 Samuel 1:17-18.
[9] Ibid 2 Samuel 18:31-33
[10] Ibid. 2 Samuel 12:16, Psalms 51, (ESV).
[11] Ibid. Psalms 13 (ESV).
