by Emily Morrison
Yesterday, George Floyd was laid to rest in his hometown of Houston. How can we possibly respond to this pain? The Bible gives us a way forward through the tradition of lament found in the books of Psalms, Job and Lamentations. A lament is not a theological study but rather an attempt to express the anguish of a sorrowful human heart. In the spirit of biblical lament, we at Woodland offer our own lament.
Oh, God
We heard you cared about justice.
We heard you breathed incalculable worth into every being.
But where is your justice now? Where?
Black bodies are crushed to the ground.
Brown lives are brought to dust.
The knee of racism strangles the breath of black sisters and brothers.
White supremacy erodes the souls of white sisters and brothers.
Look, God! Look at what is happening!
We devour one another in hatred.
We deface your image-bearers.
We eat from the tree and pass judgment on your beloveds.
Why God?
Why does the cycle of violence continue unabated?
Why does nothing change, year after year after year after year…?
We are losing hope. We cannot go on like this.
How long, God?
How long until our tears run dry?
How long will we mourn without comfort?
How long before the dividing walls of hostility are torn down?
Today, God. Today.
We cannot wait any longer.
Let everything that is wrong be made right.
Defeat the powers of evil that kill and steal and destroy.
You love us, now rescue us.
Mend our broken hearts.
Make repentance and reconciliation our new reputation.
Have mercy on us.
Amen.
The lament touches me and the Lord God.
Thank you.
That was a beautiful, powerful, ruthlessly honest lament! Thank you Emily!