"We must also be struck that these laments were not regarded as aberrations
from the faith; they were part of the set prayers for the people of God.
Questions and claims of betrayal were not relegated to private counseling
sessions with an elder or priest but rather remained a part of authorized
prayer services. Lament psalms, and individual laments in particular, compose
the largest category of psalms, implying that distress and lament are not the
exception to the experience of God’s people. Regrettably, lament has been all
but censored from most Christian worship services. By always stressing the
positive, such worship alienates those suffering pain and depression. And
shying away from lament produces unnecessary guilt and, ultimately, a
superficial faith.
For us to come to terms with lament language, it is best that we understand its aim as both expressive and evocative, not merely informational. As words given to humans to speak in the midst of pain and distress, they seek to be true to the human perspective in the relationship. In other words, they display genuine feelings whether or not they are rational or theologically correct. They allow for the expression of emotions, not just facts. Since psalms are speech from humans to God, what is appropriate is determined not solely by who God is but also by who humans are, with all their limitations and weaknesses. These laments are thus true, not in the sense of teaching accurate theological information at every point but rather in the sense of being a true reflection of the divine-human encounter."
~Broyles, Craig C. “Lament, Psalms of.” In Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry and Writings, ed. Tremper Longman III and Peter Enns, 384–99. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2008.
For us to come to terms with lament language, it is best that we understand its aim as both expressive and evocative, not merely informational. As words given to humans to speak in the midst of pain and distress, they seek to be true to the human perspective in the relationship. In other words, they display genuine feelings whether or not they are rational or theologically correct. They allow for the expression of emotions, not just facts. Since psalms are speech from humans to God, what is appropriate is determined not solely by who God is but also by who humans are, with all their limitations and weaknesses. These laments are thus true, not in the sense of teaching accurate theological information at every point but rather in the sense of being a true reflection of the divine-human encounter."
~Broyles, Craig C. “Lament, Psalms of.” In Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry and Writings, ed. Tremper Longman III and Peter Enns, 384–99. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2008.
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