When Complaining Is Holy Work

Jeremiah sure can complain! The Psalmist complains a lot, too. It’s natural to complain when things don’t go our way. In fact, it can be healthy to complain out loud when our hearts are breaking. We need to learn how to do that – it’s called lamenting, and it’s biblical. What we do instead is gossip, project our negativity on others, or swallow our complaint. These habits destroy us and our relationships. Not holy at all!

Here’s a hint about holy complaining, aka lamenting. Jeremiah demonstrates it in today’s reading. So does the Psalmist. They cry out from their very souls, lamenting the pain of dealing with a broken world. They are not complaining about not getting their way. They are lamenting God’s people not following God’s way. Even in their pain, they know to cry out to God, the source of all that is, and ask for mercy. Indeed, they receive it, because they lament from the sure foundation of God’s loving-kindness.   

We need to get better at lamenting. Life is rarely “fair.” Did anyone else’s parents tell them, “Yes, that’s not fair, life is not fair. We are to do what is right anyway, and to the best of our ability do what might make it fair.”

The secret to surviving and thriving in an unfair world is to stand firm in our faith in our loving God. As Jesus made clear in Matthew’s Gospel today, there is no compromise. We are either all in, or not. If we are all-in, we can find ways to either accept differences, or walk away gracefully, without bitterness or rancor. If we are more focused on pleasing others, even family, we will be torn by divided loyalties, and nobody wins.

By following Jesus’ teachings and example, we find the courage, the strength, the joy we need to follow his Way. Knowing that we are part of bringing in God’s kingdom to people suffering in this world is a powerful reason for being an inspiration to others. Many hard-hearted people have been converted watching faithful Christians minister with love, even when the world responds with painful rejection.  

Standing on the sure foundation of God’s loving-kindness, let us go and do likewise.

Amen