Finding Common Ground in Lament
Racial tension and injustice can be overwhelming, leaving many of us unsure of how to respond. As a pastor, I’ve often found myself erring on the side of silence, not knowing what to say. But silence can send the wrong message. That’s where corporate lament comes in – a powerful tool for bridging the gap between people from different backgrounds.
A Language of Compassion
Lament allows us to weep with those who weep (Rom. 12:15), providing a common language of compassion and understanding. It enables us to turn to God in prayer, joining our minority brothers and sisters in their pain. Together, we can identify the brokenness in our world, mourn the racial tensions that still exist, and offer our “complaint” to God about the history of injustice and racism.
A Redemptive Framework
Lament offers a redemptive framework for processing pain and seeking healing. It invites those who have been hurt by mistreatment to turn to the author of all healing. Through complaint, they can share their pain bluntly. In asking for God’s help, they can clarify what their heart longs for. And by ending with trust, they can reaffirm their hope in the One who judges justly (1 Pet. 2:23).
A Starting Point for Racial Reconciliation
Lament is not a single solution for racial tension, but it’s a crucial starting point. It provides a bridge robust enough to handle outrage and empathy, frustration and faith, fear and hope. By lamenting together, people from majority and minority backgrounds can meet on common ground.
A Ministry of the Body of Christ
Lamenting together is an essential ministry of the body of Christ. Whether expressed in a funeral, sermon, worship service, small group, or moment of racial tension, lament has the power to bring people together. It’s a song of mercy that can be sung under dark clouds, leading the way through every injustice and sorrow.
Leading the Way
The church should lead the way in lamenting racial injustice and tension. By doing so, we can help one another find our way through the pain and discover a deeper sense of unity and understanding. Lament is not just a language of loss; it’s a language of hope and redemption.
Leave a Reply