pg 32 Dealing with Loss

Our beautiful Southwest Florida community is relearning all about loss since September 28. Some of our neighbors lost homes—many of which may be able to be rebuilt while some may not be salvageable—others lost vehicles, furniture, and clothing to storm surge flooding. Those who didn’t lose homes or property may feel the loss of a favorite restaurant on Fort Myers Beach or Sanibel Island, one which they enjoyed for years, now washed out to sea. As we observed images and videos of the devastation near us and heard the dramatic, painful stories of disruption from our friends, a common human emotion is grief. Many of us are mourning and feeling deep sorrow.

In the days following the hurricane, I felt drawn to a small book in the Old Testament—Lamentations.

It was written consistent with the style of the “lament” in Hebrew poetry. Many psalms are also considered laments, as writers pour out their raw emotions of fear, loss, pain, and grief to God. Followers of the one true God have always understood that He is with us to comfort and help us in the hard times as much as in the good times. Confidence that God is present and that He hears and understands is the bedrock certainty that allows David and other psalmists to be honest and transparent. The book of Lamentations is accurately named as it consists of five chapters filled with poetry that expresses mourning and grief mixed with faith and hope. Certainly, reading the laments in the Bible is a powerful way to identify and work through our emotions and experiences.

The book of Lamentations was written by the prophet Jeremiah, who himself warned about and then witnessed the devastation of his community. A category four hurricane did not roar through Jerusalem, but the vicious Babylonian army did. It left behind the kind of destruction we’ve seen on Fort Myers Beach. Jeremiah was heartbroken by what happened to the place and the people he loved. His response was to pour out his thoughts and feelings in numerous poems which are now the book of Lamentations.

I agree with scholars who believe that Jeremiah’s book was not written with an intentional flow of thought or from a starting argument to a conclusion. Rather, his poetry (probably written as a journal or diary with random and personal daily thoughts) was compiled in no particular order—similar to poetry books today.

In a college course on Shakespeare I was assigned to read a compilation of his love sonnets. Each one stood alone. Some reflected on the agony of unrequited love while others rejoiced in the joy of mutual affection. But there is no storyline through them nor are they in any discernible order. We don’t know if Shakespeare was writing in the abstract or about a particular woman; we don’t know if his love poems led to marriage or if the relationship ended. It doesn’t matter. Each poem stands as an eloquent expression of human emotion.

I believe that is the case in the book of Lamentations. Some portions express Jeremiah’s profound grief, letting the reality of loss sink into his soul. In other poems, his soul is revived, and his faith in God is renewed. Everyone who has experienced the grief process knows what it’s like—sometimes you feel overwhelmed; other times you feel you can cope. Sometimes you feel hopeless; other times the dark clouds are dispelled, and you see sunlight again.