Most of us were raised with a much too polite approach to God. We were also raised with some questionable feelings about being angry. We feel guilt when we explode with anger inside ourselves, but if we could step back a moment, we might find that on this particular issue we should be very angry.
When we examine the long story of walking with the living God we recognize that there were many explosions of anger towards God. The prophets were never docile house cats. One of the clearest is the lament of the prophet Jeremiah 20,7-32. Poor Jeremiah is so angry, hurt, confused and frustrated that he just lashes out his anger toward God.
These were real people who struggled with the mission God gave them. They cried out in pain, confusion and anger.
Bring your anger towards God that Putin and his government invaded the country of the Ukraine and wants to take over their land. Bring your anger towards very bullet and bomb that has been dropped in Israel and the Gaza strip in the last seven weeks. Hold your anger to God and your fellow human being over every child that has been killed in these skirmishes. How could human beings deliberately destroy each other, the houses of ordinary people and mine the enemy’s farm land?
Lament toward God what human beings have done to the earth. We allowed our large corporations to dump toxic wastes into the soil and the water system. We cut down the forests of the Amazon and leave land unproductive where once there were strong trees serving as the lungs of the planet. Human beings are heating up the atmosphere of the earth and are very slow to move toward sustainable living.
And then there is the tragedy of the fentynal / opiod crisis in our country. Every day there are at least six adults dying of an overdose. These, mostly men, are dying in the prime of life; a most senseless death. Most of these victims are caught in drug addiction. No one is forcing them to take drugs. But every death and overdose is a tragedy. What a loss to see any human being die such a senseless death in the prime of life.
Do not be surprised that your voice might become loud and very firm when you express your suffering to God about what is happening in the world and within your own community. Your prayer might be very emotional, but it will be truthful!
We call this the prayer of lament. Life is not going well, evil seems to have the upper hand and we are good and angry. Today, we lay our anger and pain before God. Our prayer may be naked and raw. But is honest!
This is a healthy spirituality. Our sufferings also become our prayer.
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