Lament!

Jeremiah 11:18-20
18 It was the LORD who made it known to me, and I knew; then you showed me their evil deeds.  19 But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. And I did not know it was against me that they devised schemes, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will no longer be remembered!"  20 But you, O LORD of hosts, who judge righteously, who try the heart and the mind, let me see your retribution upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.

Reflection

This text, the first reading for this coming Sunday, is what we call a lament.  If you've never heard of a lament...check out the Psalms, check out the rest of Jeremiah.  Or, read some poetry.  Listen to those sad songs about heartbreak--Why'd my girlfriend leave?  My dog died.  My truck's broke--you probably know what I'm talking about by now.

This lament comes from Jeremiah, a prophet who was not always happy with what God called him to.  This is one of a collection of laments from the prophet.  Jeremiah's lament has some grounding.  He was bringing the word of the Lord to these folks who were really doing evil deeds!  They schemed against him.  They call him the tree and say that they will cut him off--that's a threat to his life!  Here's a person just doing what he's supposed to do--what the Lord is calling him to--and he's getting the shaft.  If there is ever a time to lament, to cry out about a situation in life, this is it.

But, the lament doesn't stop with Jeremiah whining.  No, Jeremiah also holds strong to his call.  He calls upon the Lord to judge righteously, he asks to see the Lord's retribution, he asserts that he is committed to the Lord.  In all the woe and fear, Jeremiah remembers that the power, the authority, to judge these people belongs to God.

Today, rather than share a prayer with you, I call you to lament.  Maybe your lament is like mine--I'm waiting for a call, I'm missing my family, I'm working, I'm trying to serve God's world, but the right time and place haven't coincided for me to do that in the ways I'm gifted, trained, and called. My life isn't threatened like Jeremiah's, but I'd certainly prefer working in a congregation right now rather than in a restaurant.  Maybe your lament is over the 2012 U.S. presidential election and the uncalled for hatred that our party system fosters.  Maybe your lament is over the Lonmin/Marikana Massacre.  Maybe your lament is over the loss of a parent or child or other loved one.   Whatever it is, lament!  But, as you lament, remember:  Judgement and retribution belong to the Lord--the same Lord who created you, who loves you, who calls you, who gives you life everlasting.