It’s been a week. The singular word that comes to mind is lament.
Lament is deep grieving or deep mourning. There’s lots to lament at the moment. On the day we set aside to celebrate one of the greatest civil rights activists who was assassinated for his beliefs, this country inaugurated an individual who seems to be the antithesis of MLK jr’s legacy. He proceeded to issue horrendous executive order after order, stripping rights and humanity from broad swaths of people.
At a faith service he attended, the bishop chose the way of Jesus, to speak truth to power, to cry out for mercy. She has been condemned by said president and many others for this brave act.
Meanwhile, in other online communities I run in, people have been on the attack for those choosing to speak up and speak truth to protect those whose rights are being stripped away. They’d prefer the polite indifference of moving hard conversations away from public view so that can be politely indifferent to the accountability those without a voice, without power, suffering from having rights and voice systematically stripped away, deserve.
I lament a world that prefers a soulless politeness to those with the courage to speak truth to those with power (and those that choose to revel in it). I lament a people that claim to know Jesus while attacking and condemning those who act like them. I lament a country that prefers dehumanization to fostering life in diversity. There’s so much to lament.
I’ve had this song running through my heart all week. Its called ”A Song of Lamentation” by Steve Schallert. I’m leaving the lyrics here (content warning: it’s Jesus-y).
Jesus
God of the Poor
Liberator
Friend of the weak
Jesus
Light of the world
These weary bones
Tremble and weep
Heal - every heart
Heal every soul
Heal the violence we carry
The blood in the soil
There’s blood in the soil.