Lament

Day 3:                                              Lament 

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt.”  So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was a dense darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.  People could not see one another, and for three days they could not move from where they were; but all the Israelites had light where they lived.  Then Pharaoh summoned Moses, and said, “Go worship the Lord.  Only your flocks and your herds shall remain behind.  Even your children may go with you.”  But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings to sacrifice to the Lord our God.  Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must choose some of them for the worship of the Lord our God, and we will not know what to use to worship the Lord until we arrive there.”  But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was unwilling to let them go.  Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me!  Take care that you do not see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.”  Moses said, “Just as you say!  I will never see your face again.”
​-Exodus 10: 21 – 29 

Ah, you who wish for the day of the Lord!
Why should you want the day of the Lord?
It shall be darkness, not light!
As if someone fled from a Lion
And was met by a bear;
or went indoors, and rested a hand against the wall
and was bitten by a snake!

Surely the day of the Lord shall be not light, but darkness,
blackest night without a glimmer.
I loathe, I spurn your festivals,
I am not appeased by your solemn assemblies.
If you offer Me burnt offerings – or your meal offerings -

I will not accept them; 
I will pay no heed to your gifts of fatlings.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. 
- Amos 5:18 – 24

“I must remind you that starving a child is violence.  Neglecting school children is violence.  Punishing a mother and her family is violence.  Discrimination against a working man is violence.  Ghetto housing is violence.  Ignoring medical need is violence.  Contempt for poverty is violence.”
- Corretta Scott King

Meditation:
The events that took place in Birmingham in 1963 are among the darkest in American history.  Four girls killed by bombs while preparing for worship in their sanctuary.  Children and teens attacked by police, dogs, and firefighters while demonstrating in a park… all for the sake of maintaining the status quo, maintaining the isolation of whites and subjugation of blacks.  

In this dark hour, we are reminded of the darkness thrust upon Egypt in their refusal to release the Israelites from slavery.  Moses’ persistence is reminiscent of the continued efforts for racial equity in our country.  As Moses’ movement had its dark moments, so too do the movements in our own lives.  

In the experience of darkness we also remember the cross and the darkness that covered the earth when Jesus was killed in solidarity with all who die at the hands of their oppressors.  On this day, in remembrance of the children who were injured and killed for the sake of liberation, lament may be the only response.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there, when they crucified my Lord?
O sometimes it causes me to tremble! Tremble! Tremble!
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
…Were you there when the sun refused to shine? 
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
O sometimes it causes me to tremble! tremble! tremble!
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?