A Lament for the World's Suffering
A Lament for the World’s Suffering
A psalm for the corona-crisis
Modeled on Psalm 6
O Lord, this crisis feels like a punishment for our world,
A harsh punishment inflicted on your beloved children.
And yet, merciful God, we trust in your grace for the world’s suffering,
Your mercy for our fearful hearts.
Our spirits shrink in the panic and isolation,
We are diminished in the blame and self-centered pity.
How long must the world suffer, O Lord?
How long?
Save us, O God, from our busy emptiness,
From our empty busy-ness that ignores suffering and grief.
Deliver us, so that we may center our lives in your love.
In our suffering, may we turn our hearts toward you.
In our pain and grief, may we find newness of life in you.
We are wearied in our efforts of self-protection,
Our isolation magnifies our anxiety.
We avoid and deny the news, imagining the suffering as far away,
Because the nearness of reality is too much for us to accept.
But even in isolation we can experience community,
In our fears, O God, you are suffering with us,
We are comforted and sustained in your presence.
Could it be that our suffering is necessary
to turn our hearts toward you,
To open our fearful hearts to your peace,
To make us more aware of your presence?
Even in our darkest fears and deepest suffering,
We trust that you enter into our suffering with us,
To comfort and guide us.
May we know the deep peace of your presence.
Greg Smith is the Pastor at Scott Boulevard Baptist Church and moving into the role as Director of the Legacy Ministry at First Baptist Decatur. Greg has served as Pastor of Scott Boulevard since 2007. He earned two degrees from McAfee School of Theology of Mercer University. He and his wife Jan have two adult sons who live too far away, and two of the world’s greatest grandsons! Greg loves to feed deer in his backyard, which may explain why there are no outdoor flowers at their home. He has also served since 2005 as Chaplain of King’s Bridge Retirement Center in Atlanta.