We’ve Forgotten How to Cry: Rediscovering the Lost Art of Lament
In an age of outrage, it’s time to recover the sacred act of honesty with God, and with ourselves
Welcome to today’s reflection,
Where we explore something ancient that we may have forgotten how to do: lament.
Not as weakness, but as sacred courage.
So why not grab a cup of tea and step into it with me?
There’s a tradition as old as humanity itself. It has likely existed since the first breath and is as raw as the first cry of pain.
It’s called lament.
Lament is one of the oldest known literary forms in the ancient Near East. Long before social media or helpful memes, people knew how to get sorrow out of their system.
The first thing you did was make sure your community knew about it.
No stigma attached. You just wept, shouted, ranted, and everyone knew it was okay. In fact, they embraced it.
Most importantly, you didn’t just scream into the void; you cried out to the one who started this whole life business in the first place. Basically, you ranted at God.
Laments were songs, poems, and public outpourings of honesty.
And that’s the keyword: honesty.
