August 16, 2020:Holding Back Tears – Michael Hidalgo

We live in the midst of a country that believes “might makes right.” We are a country and culture that extols power, winning, strength, victory and conquering. More than that, we seem to have an aversion to suffering and pain of any kind. So we rush through it, we numb it, we deny it, we ignore it … anything to not have to sit in it and with it. This arrogance and unhealthy pursuit of a good time is crippling our souls.

Learning to lament has the power to liberate us and others. It gives us the chance to name what hurts, what’s wrong, what’s unjust, to acknowledge our weakness and move into the pain (which is the only way we will ever move out of it). In this, we can discover that lament has the potential to be prophetic in that it sheds light on the truth and holds that up to the light.