How lonely sits the city
that was full of people!
How like a widow has she become,
she who was great among the nations!
She who was a princess among the provinces
has become a slave.
Most preachers have never preached a series on Lamentations and you probably don’t read this book very often. It would be the modern equivalent of clicking on Bummer.com to catch the latest misery. We avoid this sort of thing. That is, unless we are in mourning and in grief. Then it becomes our comfort zone. Lamentations is a cry of grieving to the Lord after a devastating loss, the loss of their nation and Jerusalem to Babylon.
After losing his wife, C.S. Lewis wrote A Grief Observed, a journal of his mourning for her loss. HIs first line was, “Nobody told me grief felt so like fear.” It is a restlessness and an uncertainty that is unnerving. Surprisingly, this book sold extremely well, speaking to our need to deal with loss.
I spoke with many people who lost loved ones during the pandemic and were unable to hold a memorial service to say goodbye. I sensed the same sense of being slightly “off” in their description. It is always sad to see and my heart went out to them. It proves God’s word in Ecclesiastes that there is a time to mourn. It heals us and brings us closer to him.
Take comfort that in the midst of this heart-breaking lament, chapter 3 holds on to hope.
Come to Cape Community Church tomorrow to find out where we found hope.
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning
Dear Lord, in the midst of trials, we have this hope in the person of Jesus Christ. He has defeated death for those who believe. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church