One of the beautiful aspects of the Bible is that it doesn’t gloss over the topics of grief, loss, sadness, unfulfilled expectations etc. The Psalms are a spectacular example of people crying out to God in the depths of their sadness. The raw acknowledgement that God doesn’t appear to be saving them from suffering or pain is uncomfortable in our modern Christianity where God is expected to save us from all our enemies, gives us victory and we live happily ever-after. All we need is more faith or trust.<\/p>\n
Richard Rohr and other Wisdom teachers, stress the importance of sitting with what we call negative emotions, because they have something to teach us. Perhaps things that we would rather not confront or acknowledge about ourselves.<\/p>\n
I have been sitting with some particularly heavy sadness recently, so took some time to reflect on it in the form of a lament and I leave you with this:<\/p>\n
\nSadness is a load, heavier than I want to bear
\nWhere is the Joy you promised in the midst of it all?
\nI can’t see it, can’t feel it
\nEscape, Distract, Divert, Ignore – they all sound like good solutions because
\nConfronting is too hard
\n***
\nWhere is my Victory, my Overcoming?
\nWhere is my Peace that passes all understanding?
\nI resent the preachers who promise these outcomes as if they are guaranteed
\nI resent the shallow theology that says God is a vending machine,
\nDoling out happy-pills to the faithful
\n***
\nSadness… Loss of dreams, Loss of hope
\nUnfulfilled expectations
\nGod, I feel you let me down, I’ve been so faithful
\nDoes it have to rain on the just and the unjust alike?
\nWhy can’t I avoid this?
\n***
\nSadness and sorrow…
\nStraying into self-pity is so easy right now
\nMy ego wants to be stroked and justified
\nHow do I separate them from my self?
\nWishing doesn’t make it happen.
\n***
\nGod, you remain my strong foundation
\nYou don’t tell me to take a pill or snap out of it
\nYou accept me when I struggle to accept myself and those around me
\n***
\nThe Sabbath starts with darkness in hope of the new day
\nLord, be my rest during this night
\nAnd give hope for a brighter day tomorrow<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n