Finding Lost Words

Book Review (G. Geoffrey Harper and Kit Barker (eds.))

I was alerted to this volume by one of my readers, Mike, for which I'm quite thankful. It's an edited collection of essays put together primarily by Australian theologians, and focuses on the role of lament, primarily in the Psalms. That, obviously, is just the kind of topic I have been thinking a great deal about lately, and this was an incredibly interesting and (dare I say it) encouraging volume. It encompasses twenty-two contributions, all valuable, and also impossible to summarise here, so I will pick some highlights and draw some observations.

The book opens with its rationale, the convictions that (1) there is a need to rediscover lament for the church. Likewise, (2) that we need to bridge the gap between the church and biblical scholarship. We are then treated to some historical perspectives, including the decline of lament psalms in church usage, and why that may be so, as well as some historical 'takes' on lament psalms. I found Maddock's treatment of Calvin, Matthew Henry, John Wesley, and Charles Simeon illuminating, particularly that Simeon and Henry basically considered lament to be ungodly and unfitting. Contrast this with Spurgeon (in Thompson's essay) who made regular usage of the lament psalms and taught and applied his congregation how to lament biblically. I was so encouraged by this that I have spent some subsequent time digging into Spurgeon's work in this area.

There's a few contributions by Kit Barker in this volume, all excellent. His work in applying speech-act theory clarifies how the laments are not exactly God speaking lament, but function at a different level to be God's word to us to enable lament. His work on imprecation turns up in a few places and is quite helpful - he makes 3 main points about imprecation:

1. That it is not enacting vengeance for oneself, nor is it cursing (i.e. an act of violence executed by the words themselves), but it is a prayer in which justice, judgement, retribution, and vengeance are entrusted to the Lord (Romans 12:19 springs to mind)

2. That it's an act of faith, based on God's sovereignty and justice.

3. That it is an act of loyalty, choosing to side oneself with YHWH and recognise "the wicked" as arrayed against God.

I found Dan Wu's treatment of canonical ordering and lament insightful, especially the fact that whatever canonical shape we see, lament persists throughout the Psalter. Likewise Andrew Sloane's comments on how the laments are "self-involving speech", so that when we take them onto our own lips "this act of appropriation gives words to people who might otherwise be silent; and it disciplines the words of those whose words might transgress the limits of fidelity". Andrew Shead offers us a masterclass in translation. There's a good chapter by Patston on pastoral care, and a process for 'writing laments for one's own circumstances.' And there are many other fine chapters too.

Jeremiah, renowned lamenter. Photo by Europeana on Unsplash

If I had to summarise laments and lament-psalms succinctly, I would put it like this: "They are a cry of faith from the heart of a believer out of the midst of distress to the God who is sovereign, faithful in love, and promises to save, asking him to right what is wrong in the world."

From this, let me draw out a few key points:

1. Lament is an act of faith, not unbelief

2. Lament is relational speech directed to God. It's not grumbling or complaining.

3. Lament recognises and depends upon the twin truths of God's sovereignty and his goodness, justice, and love.

4. Lament exists precisely when those things are brought into question by the sufferings and evils of life.

5. Lament is a discipline whereby we train our hearts to respond to God in the sufferings of life. We are sunk without it.

Or, to sum it up even more, lament boils down to one question: “O Lord, how long?”