Anger and Lament: A Response to God in Times of Suffering

This article is the second in a series of four dealing with emotion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anger is often viewed as harmful, unhealthy, and even dangerous. Anger that is out of control and untamed, yes, can lead to destructive ends. However, anger that is maintained and managed serves a vital purpose. Anger informs us when a right or belief has been violated.  We then have one of two choices to make: 1) offer grace and forgiveness and let our anger subside, disregarding the offense, or 2) we seek justice, eventually arriving at grace and forgiveness. Staying in anger allows it to surge into a rage, not allowing room for grace, forgiveness, and even justice to fulfill their purpose to lessen our anger. Ephesians 4:26-27 recognizes that we will be angry at times but to not let it dominate us, leading us to sin. 

Anger is almost always directed toward another person because their behavior has offended us. What if God is the offender and our anger is directed toward him? Can we really be angry at God?

The Old Testament gives us a clue into the practice of the lament; a way of expressing anger and sorrow toward God (Job 7:11; 13:3; Psalm 44; Jer. 15:15-18 are a few). In Psalm 22:1-2, David laments:

You feel the emotion in his words, the sorrow and frustration. He needs God but God is seemingly distant. 

The lament is an expression toward God when we are suffering a sudden, intense pain whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual (Brock & Harasta, 2009). Lament is not the same as suffering but a response to the pain of suffering (Brock, et al). We Christians tend to disregard the lament. We are to “suffer in silence.” Anger is seemingly discouraged in the New Testament, (Gal. 5:20; Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8; 1 Tim. 2:8; and Jam. 1:19-20) but I contend that these passages are more to discourage us from rage and fits of anger. God created us with emotion, and anger is one of those. Why would he encourage us to express emotion and yet discourage us from expressing our anger? He would not, which explains his close, emotional connection to the Israelites. 

The Psalms are a collection of Jewish prayers and songs and are a good example of how a sufferer offers a lament to God. The majority of the first half of the book of Psalms is a lament and the majority of praise in the second half. The lament comprises 40 percent of the book of Psalms but makes up 13 – 19 percent of Christian hymnals (Pemberton, 2012). A clear shift in lamenting practices from the Old to the New Testament.

Brueggemann (2001) describes this contrast. There are the theological “have-nots” versus the theological “haves.” The “have-nots” develop a theology of suffering and survival compared to the “haves” who develop a theology of celebration and praise. Those living under suffering, live “their lives aware of the acute precariousness of their situation.” The type of worship arising from suffering and pain cries out for deliverance. The perception of a suffering people is one of dependence, “crying out for a vision of survival and salvation.” Many of us would be in the category of the “haves.” From that perspective, we offer worship of celebration and praise.  This is what a grateful people should do, offer praise to a caring and giving God. However, we struggle in our worship and prayer when we endure suffering and pain. 

We are truly going through an unprecedented historical event. Many may struggle with how to respond to God when we feel sorrow and anger. Jesus on the cross quoted Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). Taking his lead, we cry out to God and ask, where are you? Do you care? However, let’s not forget the rest of that prayer. David continues in Psalm 22:3-5:

This is not a time to be silent but to express to a God who hears us and is there even when he may seem distant. He is not distant but understands our suffering because this living God suffered too and cried out with his own lament. As the Psalmist has taught us, we can cry out to God in frustration and anger, but we know he is a sovereign, loving God who will rescue us in the end. 

The book of Lamentations was written as a response to the destruction of Jerusalem after the exile of the nation of Judah. It consists of five poems, mostly as a communal lament to God.  We read about the cries of sorrow and anger to God, and yet, in the middle of the book, we find these words:

Now in our time of suffering, we cry out to God with all emotion knowing he will deliver us.

Dr. Troy Backhuus is the director of Missionary Care with One Mission Society located in Greenwood, Indiana. He has been a licensed professional counselor for more than 18 years and has taught in higher education for the same amount of time. He holds a Ph.D. in “Counseling Education and Supervision.” One of his specialties is in “Emotion-Focused Therapy.”

References

Brock, B., & Harasta, E. (2009). Evoking lament: A theological discussion. T&T Clark

Brueggemann, W. (2001). Peace: Understanding biblical themes. Chalice Press.

Pemberton, G. (2012). Hurting with God: Learning to lament with the psalms. Abilene Christian University Press.