Waiting and Hoping for Compassion, a Reflection on Lamentations 3:23-33

Lamentation is a collection of five laments that originally were reflections on the suffering and dislocation that resulted from the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and the exile that followed (The Jewish Study Bible).

As we face suffering and dislocation, we still turn to this book to find words to express our pains and our fears--and the source of our help.

The lectionary this weeks pairs this reading from Lamentation with the gospel reading from Mark concerning the healing of the woman's very long-term ailment and the raising of Jairus' daughter.

"It's good to wait," says our lesson today. "There may yet be hope." Then we read:

For the Lord will not reject forever.
Although he causes grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
for he does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone.

Much of this is comforting to me, but some is disconcerting. Do I have to believe that all my suffering is caused by my own wrong-doing? A further problem for me is that many other passages affirm the need for us humans to complain loudly to God about our problems. This passage says to wait patiently.