There Is a Balm in Gilead by Emmett G. Price III

Author:Emmett G. Price III
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: African American;racial justice;racial injustice;church life;spiritual disciplines;Gordon-conwell theological seminary;Gordon Conwell;Gordon Conwell theological seminary;institute for the study of the black Christian experience;Emmett price;social justice;worship;Christian worship;communal worship;church;confession
ISBN: 9781683073406
Publisher: Hendrickson Publishers
Published: 2020-06-12T13:51:33+00:00

An Honest Complaint

In times of suffering, despair, and tragedy, the importance of an honest complaint is truly realized. As Rah recognizes, “Unfettered suffering devastates a fragile soul and a fragile community.”[19] Yet the New Testament church is mandated to pray for one another, fellowship with one another, encourage one another, serve one another, and love one another.[20] Our communal gatherings cannot truthfully endeavor an engagement “in spirit and in truth” if we are not willing to offer honest complaint to God on behalf of one another.

Jeremiah’s heart broke for his beloved people who continually rejected God’s invitation to engage in an intimate relationship. As much as his anger was offered as a complaint to God in his heart-wrenching laments, Jeremiah’s greatest complaint was against sin and evil—not necessarily against the people or God. Jeremiah, in his anger and rage, was still honest to the fact that sin and evil operate on and through people as a force, a negative power of sorts. People certainly become agents through which sin and evil occur, but the true source of Jeremiah’s anger and the ultimate subject of his complaint was sin and evil.

Current sociopolitical posturing and platforms displace the subject of anger, creating a dishonest complaint. Far too often, the agents of sinful activities and evil actions are the source of the anger and the subject of the complaint, rather than the sinful nature of the actor and evil intervention from the perpetrator. In these situations, forgiveness, grace, compassion, and empathy are extremely difficult to invoke. Furthermore, our mischaracterization of our complaint, and our misalignment of the impact of sin and influence of evil, negates our ability to “humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our own wicked ways” (see 2 Chron. 7:14). It is too easy to acknowledge ourselves as in “the right” and non-likeminded people as in “the wrong,” which inhibits our desire and ability to pray for one another, fellowship with one another, encourage one another, serve one another, and love one another as Jesus did. In this dishonest state, it is difficult to offer enough forgiveness, grace, compassion, and empathy to “love one another as we love ourselves” (see John 13:34).

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