Introduction
Chapter 1: Tearing Heaven Open
The Framework of Lament.
- Invocation. The first step id directing the cry somewhere.
- Complaint.
- Petition. Be present. Listen—“Perhaps when God is silent, God is listening." Act.
- Trust.
These steps do not need to be followed in order. Laments in the psalms tend to skip from one item to another and then back again. And one notable psalm (88) ends with no expression of trust.
God Breaks the Silence. God remains silent in Lamentations. But, Isaiah deals with the same issues and God is speaking to the people of Lamentations.
Divine Compassion. “There are many helpful theological approaches to the problem of unanswered prayer. Lament is not one of them. It doesn’t try to resolve the puzzle or the pain of petitions that seem to go unheard. Instead, it envelops even that pain, and lifts it back to God in complaint, and in hope that God listens.”
Excerpt From: Rebekah Eklund. “Practicing Lament.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/practicing-lament/id1556321728