THE CHURCH STILL KNOWS... LAMENT

We live in a culture that's lost the ability to name a thing a thing. We soften the edges of evil with euphemisms. We call corruption "political differences." We label systemic injustice "complicated issues." We're told to "pray for our leaders" but never allowed to be angry about the leadership that fails the vulnerable.





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When children go hungry while billionaires argue about tax rates, we're supposed to "stay positive." When wars drag on because someone profits from the weapons, we're told to "trust the process." When healthcare systems collapse under the weight of greed, we're encouraged to "look for the helpers."

But the Church has never been afraid to call evil what it is.

Luther had a phrase: we name a thing a thing. We don't pretty it up. We don't soften the blow. When the world is broken, we say so. And more than that—we bring our grief about that brokenness directly to God.

That's lament. Not personal therapy or individual complaint, but prophetic discontent with what doesn't reflect the kingdom of God.

Jeremiah wrote an entire book called Lamentations—not because he was having a bad day, but because Jerusalem was destroyed and he refused to pretend it was part of some greater plan. The psalmists cry out against corrupt rulers who "crush your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage." Jesus wept over Jerusalem not because he was sad, but because the city had rejected the way of peace.

They weren't just processing their feelings. They were naming what was wrong, standing up for the oppressed, calling for change. They brought their deep discontent with injustice straight to the throne of God and cried out for something better.

That's what lament does. It refuses to accept that this is just how things are. It names what doesn't reflect God's kingdom and calls for betterment—not because our anger is righteous, but because God's justice is.

Our prayers don't have to be polite. Our worship doesn't have to ignore the world's pain. We can bring our prophetic discontent about corruption, about systems that crush the poor, about wars that never end.

We can name a thing a thing. And we can call for God's kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven.

The world may want us to stay quiet about its brokenness. But the Church remembers how to lament.

And sometimes, that honest sorrow is exactly what faithfulness looks like.
Peace.

Travis Segar
Pastor for Care and Community

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Image: Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem by Rembrandt