The second elegy speaks toward anger. God’s anger with the people of Judah, and the anger of the poet toward God - one who is almost an enemy of the people. This is so necessary, because many have been taught to hold it in, to not speak to God this way, to keep our “emotions in check” and to not let them “get the better of us.” But that is not what we witness here, not at all. And why wouldn’t the poet be angry? How angry would you be if no one listened to your cry, to your wailing because of the pain and the hopelessness of your people? How angry might you be with God when you cry out and its seems God ignores you?
It’s likely the anger over the pain would well up, and eventually it would spill out, and it should spill out. Especially toward and before God. As Miroslav Volf rightly observes, unattended rage should be dropped at the feet of God. Why? Because God can handle it. More than that, naming and seeing our anger - allowing it to flow can be a gateway for us to see and name that which is causing our anger. Anger, can actually be a first step toward healing, toward speaking truth. And speaking truth is, after all, what prophets do. As Kathleen O’Conner points out, when we name what is wrong, when we lament, when we open ourselves to grief and anger - we expose the conditions that cause God’s good world to get out of order; we name them, and in doing so, open make them and us visible for remedy.
October 30, 2022: Good News for Postmodern Humanity - Brian McLaren
October 23, 2022: Living the Future in the Present - Michael Hidalgo
October 16, 2022: When You Can’t Go Back - Michael Hidalgo
October 9, 2022: The World Is Always Ending - Jonathan Merritt
October 2, 2022: Good, Rotten, Foolish and Wise - Michael Hidalgo
September 25, 2022: Splinters In The Lumber Yard - Michael Hidalgo
September 18, 2022: The One About Obedience - Michael Hidalgo
September 11, 2022: Behold What Love Can Do - Cari Jenkins
September 4, 2022: The Messy Middle - Dave Neuhausel
August 28, 2022: Finding Delight - Amanda Lum
August 21, 2022: Jesus is the Question - Bekah Stewart
August 14, 2022: A Deeper Breath of Tenderness - Ryan Taylor
August 7, 2022: The Problem with Peacekeeping - Paula Williams
July 31, 2022: On The Move - Landon Lynch
July 24, 2022: On The Move - Kristin Wright
July 17, 2022: On the Move - Cari Jenkins
July 3, 2022: On The Move - Michelle Cazas
June 26, 2022: Is There A Doctor In The House? - Scott Oppliger
June 19, 2022: I’m Not Done Hoping For You - Amanda Lum
June 12, 2022: You Can If You Want To - Bekah Stewart
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Life After Ministry
Cast The Word
Let Me Be Frank | Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Podcast | Diocese of Bridgeport, CT
The Bible Recap
The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)