We don’t like lament and for the most part, the Western world is not very good at it. We just get back to work and do not grieve what needs to be grieved. Then we carry that grief way longer than we need.

I liked when I was in Haiti many years ago how they grieved. They had to wear black 1-2 years depending on who died. That let everyone know they were grieving. Then after a set time, they were to take off their black clothes and resume their regular wear.

I don’t know if they still do that, but what a great way to grieve. It was in such a way that others knew to give them grace, and it was a time frame they were given and then they were encouraged to pick up the pieces and move forward.

Back to Lamentations. Lamentations is a book of grief for the fall of Jerusalem. It used to actually be a part of the book of Jeremiah.

Something most people don’t know as it’s not so clear in English is that it is an acrostic. Each section begins with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Sort of like our -A -B – C. This wasn’t just a haphazard book but a carefully constructed piece of poetry. One for the ages.