Comments on: A time to mourn http://erika.haub.net/a-time-to-mourn/08/ Erika Carney Haub's musings on life and God from South Central, L.A. Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:53:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Ted M. Gossard http://erika.haub.net/a-time-to-mourn/08/#comment-65093 Mon, 03 Sep 2007 16:15:04 +0000 http://erika.haub.net/a-time-to-mourn/08/#comment-65093 I notice that having a heart that is moved to lament is the sign of grace breaking through to what can oftentimes be my stony, hard heart. And I partake then of a needed broken and contrite heart, broken over myself, but also over the brokenness of others. I notice that having a heart that is moved to lament is the sign of grace breaking through to what can oftentimes be my stony, hard heart. And I partake then of a needed broken and contrite heart, broken over myself, but also over the brokenness of others.

]]> by: Nathanael http://erika.haub.net/a-time-to-mourn/08/#comment-64500 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 13:30:09 +0000 http://erika.haub.net/a-time-to-mourn/08/#comment-64500 Amen, sister. Great post. Tim Hughes explains what prompted him to write the song "When the Tears Fall" (one of my all-time favorite Tim Hughes songs) was the lack of lament in the church. Amen, sister. Great post.
Tim Hughes explains what prompted him to write the song “When the Tears Fall” (one of my all-time favorite Tim Hughes songs) was the lack of lament in the church.

]]> by: Gabrielle http://erika.haub.net/a-time-to-mourn/08/#comment-64379 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 03:06:02 +0000 http://erika.haub.net/a-time-to-mourn/08/#comment-64379 Both Erika and John, your words are gut wrentchingly honest and sorrowful to me. I am frustrated and angry every time I want to cry for injustice and brutality. I spent most of my childhood thinking and believing also that crying was a useless, shameful thing. I've beaten back so many tears that I felt like at one time I could not cry again. How do we free ourselves of this hardening of the heart? I need that freedom. I'm slowing understanding what Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 is saying: It is better to go the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting for this is the end of all humankind. Sorrow is better than laughter for by sadness of face the heart will be made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of the mourning but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. Can anyone explain these verses in more detail? Both Erika and John, your words are gut wrentchingly honest and sorrowful to me. I am frustrated and angry every time I want to cry for injustice and brutality. I spent most of my childhood thinking and believing also that crying was a useless, shameful thing. I’ve beaten back so many tears that I felt like at one time I could not cry again.

How do we free ourselves of this hardening of the heart?

I need that freedom.

I’m slowing understanding what Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 is saying:
It is better to go the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting for this is the end of all humankind. Sorrow is better than laughter for by sadness of face the heart will be made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of the mourning but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

Can anyone explain these verses in more detail?

]]> by: John Santic http://erika.haub.net/a-time-to-mourn/08/#comment-64370 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 01:45:53 +0000 http://erika.haub.net/a-time-to-mourn/08/#comment-64370 Erika, I am flattered and humbled that you would consider my words worthy to belong in such a profound reflection. When I consider lament, it creates in me a two-fold reaction. One - it is where I want and need to be. And 2 - I am terrified to weep because of the associations it has to a weakness that is unacceptable in our culture. For example, I walked by a community today. As I parked my car on the street next to the vacant lot in a hard-luck place in our city, I walked right past a community of people who call that park home. There was one who was still curled up sleeping, and others who were sitting on camping chairs. And there was on lady who was eagerly combing the ground as if she lost something precious...but she was really looking hopelessly for another hit. As I walked by, already a tad late for work, I made a note to myself about this community and how I think i should blog about it. But my problem (illuminated by your post) is that I could not weep for them. Why don't we lament the unjust way our society marginalizes and criminalizes the poor? Weeping this morning would be totally socially unacceptable....talking to them for that mater would be as well. Rather that lament that leads to ripe imagination for an alternative future, I justify the situation before me and not long after move on the "important" parts of my day - doing the things that our culture tells me are the right things to do. God forbid that our actions do not ruffle some feathers and redeifine what it means to be human with mercy, justice, and compassion! This desire and inability are a burden to me that exposes my inconsistency. Hopefully it is a step toward freedom. Erika, I am flattered and humbled that you would consider my words worthy to belong in such a profound reflection. When I consider lament, it creates in me a two-fold reaction. One - it is where I want and need to be. And 2 - I am terrified to weep because of the associations it has to a weakness that is unacceptable in our culture.

For example, I walked by a community today. As I parked my car on the street next to the vacant lot in a hard-luck place in our city, I walked right past a community of people who call that park home. There was one who was still curled up sleeping, and others who were sitting on camping chairs. And there was on lady who was eagerly combing the ground as if she lost something precious…but she was really looking hopelessly for another hit. As I walked by, already a tad late for work, I made a note to myself about this community and how I think i should blog about it. But my problem (illuminated by your post) is that I could not weep for them. Why don’t we lament the unjust way our society marginalizes and criminalizes the poor? Weeping this morning would be totally socially unacceptable….talking to them for that mater would be as well.

Rather that lament that leads to ripe imagination for an alternative future, I justify the situation before me and not long after move on the “important” parts of my day - doing the things that our culture tells me are the right things to do. God forbid that our actions do not ruffle some feathers and redeifine what it means to be human with mercy, justice, and compassion!

This desire and inability are a burden to me that exposes my inconsistency. Hopefully it is a step toward freedom.

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