Lament is the expression of sorrow and grief to God. Whilst many such expressions are raw and primal, our Lord has also blessed many creatives to express their lament in art forms that help touch others, and express them in art forms that they may be in too much pain to express themselves. But these forms of lament can then help others to express their own, and perhaps to aid their own path to recovery.
Here is a list of videos showing the various art forms of lament, that was featured at a recent Arts Release conference. We hope it will touch someone who needs it.
Psalm 42 "As The Deer" by Paul M Harvey
Paul M Harvey is a gifted writer of biblical songs. This is Psalm 42, where the psalmist "thirsts" for God's presence during a time when he feels spiritually downcast. He expresses a yearning to experience God as he did in the past. He instructs his own soul, saying, "put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him". Even in such times there is hope.
Inspire us (danced by Aimee Tan)
INSPIRE US - a moving lament song about times when it feels you cannot go on, but with hope in Christ."Lord, for your glory, revive us again" is the prayer of the believer in such times. Aimee Tan choreographed this during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown.
Psalm 5 (Mandinka with Kora)
This is a beautiful biblical lament psalm sung in the Gambian Mandinka language and played on the West African Kora. The songwriter lived in West Africa for many years and is known in there Gambia as Mariyama Suso and sings and plays this to bless the people of the Gambia.
Jude's Installation - Shards - Jan 26
Lament Examples - Creative examples of lament to the Lord.
Hannah's Dance (danced by AK)
Following the devastating personal lament of the barren Hannah in the Old Testament and her silent but mouthed praye ( mistaken by the priest Eli as drunkenness), God answers her prayer. Hannah now has a son, Samuel, who will become a mighty prophet in Israel. This dance is a celebration of lament turning to joy.
The cover picture on this page is a painting called "Lament", featuring the loss felt by refugee children, by WEC artist Tun I Yen.
