Following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in London, there is discussion on social media about the ‘day of rage’ and a certain Christian response to it: ‘we need a day of prayer not a day of rage’. Why should they be seen as alternatives? Continue reading “A Day of Raging Prayer”
Feelings for Vengeance
Much of my time over the last month has been spent marking assignments. A significant number of students chose to study Psalm 137. Popularised (in part) for anyone over 40-ish by Boney M.’s ‘By the rivers of Babylon’ (1978), the psalm is, in equal measure, notorious for its closing verses, which some lectionaries deem unfit for public use: Continue reading “Feelings for Vengeance”
Mudslinging at God
A friend recently wrote on his blog: “I cannot pray at the moment. I’m struggling to believe.”
My first reaction on reading this was to marvel at his bravery in making such an honest assertion, knowing that to some it would doubtless be shocking. That’s not the sort of thing that church leaders are meant to say, is it? But it stands as testament to just how bad the situation must be that it is necessary to take the risk of voicing such feelings, knowing that they are impossible to hide and that putting on a brave face is not only disingenuous but likely also to lead to further hurt.
And so my next response, which is the one that lingers, is a profound sense of sadness and compassion for him, as it is for anyone who finds themselves in such a situation. The sense of being cut off from our source of life, our source of comfort, is disturbing to a deep level, shaking the foundations of life lived in relationship with God. If God seems unreachably distant, to whom else can we turn? There is no substitute.
My friend is not the first person I have heard of to go through such an experience. Continue reading “Mudslinging at God”
A Website for Lament
“Life is difficult.” So says M. Scott Peck in his classic “The Road Less Travelled”. How to deal with the difficulties of life is one of the perennial challenges that we all face. And yet it is a challenge that seems to me to be under-discussed and under resourced when it comes to expressing those difficulties within the life of Christian faith.
My study of the psalms of lament opened a whole new understanding of prayer and communion with God for me. Continue reading “A Website for Lament”