It's a hard one for us to think there is consequence to our action, especially our bad actions. We love grace, forgiveness. Consequence, not so much. Blaming God or others is much more satisfying than blaming ourselves.
"Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord."
"Where is grace in these verses?" we demand. "There's always grace." Indeed, there is. But grace--God loving us because God loves us--is not permissiveness. We cannot use God's love to get our own way or do whatever we want because we belong to God.
The darkness of Holy Saturday is a result of our sin. God came wrapped in human skin. We killed him.
There is consequence for that. There is consequence for oppressing the poor. There is consequence for refusing to love our neighbor. There is consequence for preferring fear over relationship. There is consequence for the worship of consumerism, for the abuse of the earth, for the assumption that we can be our own gods.
The darkness is our creation. It is our consequence. It is not "their fault."
Today is a day for "lifting our hearts as well as our hands to God in heaven..."
The book of Lamentation is a poem based on the Hebrew alphabet. Grief has a beginning and an end. The end is coming. "[God] has taken up our cause...redeemed our lives." Grief will end. Hope will return.
But today is for eyes flowing without ceasing.
Lamentations 3:37-58New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
37 Who can command and have it done,
if the Lord has not ordained it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that good and bad come?
39 Why should any who draw breath complain
about the punishment of their sins?
if the Lord has not ordained it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that good and bad come?
39 Why should any who draw breath complain
about the punishment of their sins?
40 Let us test and examine our ways,
and return to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our hearts as well as our hands
to God in heaven.
42 We have transgressed and rebelled,
and you have not forgiven.
and return to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our hearts as well as our hands
to God in heaven.
42 We have transgressed and rebelled,
and you have not forgiven.
43 You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us,
killing without pity;
44 you have wrapped yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer can pass through.
45 You have made us filth and rubbish
among the peoples.
killing without pity;
44 you have wrapped yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer can pass through.
45 You have made us filth and rubbish
among the peoples.
46 All our enemies
have opened their mouths against us;
47 panic and pitfall have come upon us,
devastation and destruction.
48 My eyes flow with rivers of tears
because of the destruction of my people.
have opened their mouths against us;
47 panic and pitfall have come upon us,
devastation and destruction.
48 My eyes flow with rivers of tears
because of the destruction of my people.
49 My eyes will flow without ceasing,
without respite,
50 until the Lord from heaven
looks down and sees.
51 My eyes cause me grief
at the fate of all the young women in my city.
without respite,
50 until the Lord from heaven
looks down and sees.
51 My eyes cause me grief
at the fate of all the young women in my city.
52 Those who were my enemies without cause
have hunted me like a bird;
53 they flung me alive into a pit
and hurled stones on me;
54 water closed over my head;
I said, “I am lost.”
have hunted me like a bird;
53 they flung me alive into a pit
and hurled stones on me;
54 water closed over my head;
I said, “I am lost.”
55 I called on your name, O Lord,
from the depths of the pit;
56 you heard my plea, “Do not close your ear
to my cry for help, but give me relief!”
57 You came near when I called on you;
you said, “Do not fear!”
from the depths of the pit;
56 you heard my plea, “Do not close your ear
to my cry for help, but give me relief!”
57 You came near when I called on you;
you said, “Do not fear!”
58 You have taken up my cause, O Lord,
you have redeemed my life.
you have redeemed my life.
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