
Some “through the bible” thoughts from Lamentations 1.
“How lonely sits the city
that was full of people!” (Lamentations 1:1)
Left behind after most of the people have been taken into exile, Jeremiah sees a deserted Jerusalem.
It must have looked like a once vibrant shopping mall that sits empty as people shop online or on the streets of trendy town centers. It was as deserted as my evacuated county when wildfires raced towards our homes. It was as empty as a closed Wally World when Clark Griswold and his family arrive in “National Lampoon’s Vacation.” Or like the church when everyone stayed home because of Covid-19.
When someone dies, family and friends gather to mourn, comfort, and support their loved ones. When they leave, and you’re alone, the house feels especially empty. It’s so quiet. Your voice echoes. You’re never felt so alone.
Jeremiah knew it would happen. In distress he groans, “You have brought the day you announced” (1:21). But he didn’t know his stomach would church and heart would be faint as he witnessed the faithful justice of the holy God.