PODCAST
Broken Enlightenment
September 15th, 2015
Lamentations 3:19-36
It is easy to dislike Lamentations. After all, most of us want our faith to give us hope and joy. Here, however, the prophet looks to the symbol of God’s goodness, Jerusalem, and grieves because it lies in ruins. To accept this reality requires thinking of God differently. The prophet wails his unrestrained devastation at the prospect.
To accept this book as the inspired Word of God is to accept that pain is part of life and it has a voice. To accept that is to accept that there are no guarantees. In that case, blaming God seems almost appropriate. To accept this book is to accept that faith does not shield us from reality.
In the midst of his pain, the prophet still longs for God to be his all, his hope, his future. The way to faith amid painful reality is vulnerability and honesty. In that place the God of grace may be found.
Author: Roland Hearn
