Poet Ann Weems (1934–2016) suffered tragedy firsthand when her twenty-one-year-old son was murdered. She poured her profound grief into writing her own versions of lament psalms. Here she takes heart from Jesus’ own weeping:  

Jesus wept,  
              and in his weeping, 
                   he joined himself forever 
                   to those who mourn.
       He stands now throughout all time,  
               this Jesus weeping, 
                        with his arms about the weeping ones: 
       “Blessed are those who mourn,  
              for they shall be comforted.” 
            He stands with the mourners, 
                   for his name is God-with-us. 
Jesus wept. 
             “Blessed are those who weep, for they shall be comforted.” Someday.  
        Someday God will wipe the tears from Rachel’s eyes. 
                          In the godforsaken, obscene quicksand of life,  
                          there is a deafening alleluia 
                          rising from the souls  
                          of those who weep, 
                          and of those who weep with those who weep. 
                          If you watch, you will see 
                          the hand of God 
                          putting the stars back in their skies 
                          one by one.  

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character], Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation].

• Previous Entry: Public Lament
• Next Entry: Next Post