This lament, a song of profound pain, expresses a sense of abandonment by God, the One who is the source of all consolation and healing. The psalm is starkly authentic and visceral. In honesty, are there not times when we have keenly felt God’s absence?
I was very close to my mother and was not ready to let her go when she died. The very hardest place for me to be at that time was in church. In my grief, I felt cut off from God. I remember unhelpful comments from well-meaning people, telling me I shouldn’t cry because my mother was with God, or that my tears were selfish, for myself.
But I also remember the steady presence of others who gave a warm embrace, who didn’t try to interpret or “fix” how I was feeling. I simply remember a strong feeling of accompaniment. And though I did not recognize it until much later, those steady supporters were the face of God, journeying with me through the darkness.
God is up to the challenge of hearing our anger, our pain, our lament. And God’s love surrounds us in many ways, even when we are not aware of it.
Rise up, O God, and help us. Amen. —