Some days feel like bad days, and we complain about the way things are. For many people, myself included, this is an easy and almost immediate response to some of life’s situations. Today, in our secular world, we call it complaining. In biblical times complaining, particularly to God was lamenting. When we protest against the decisions of our government or policies that enslave us, we are lamenting the world in which we live. We complain that “things are not the way they should be”. The purpose of complaining should be similar to the purpose of lamenting, that of bringing about a change in our world. Sometimes we can bring about change through our laments and protests, and although it is often not exactly what we want, sometimes that change happens within us instead of with the circumstances that surround us. Any change however is different from where we once started, and is part of the “growing edges” that surround us.
My personal complaint is that I do not feel that I have adequate time currently to post every day (as I would like to and envisioned that I would). So some of my ideas will have to await another day. Also, although I have barely gotten started I am not quite sure how I feel with how things have started. I would have liked things to be better grounded, and less fluff, as you will. Therefore as a result it seems that my personal lamenting has brought me to a new direction, and at a perfect time too, with the season of Advent and preparation just around the corner. I hope as we continue to explore religion in more detail to offer more to “chew on”, even if that means less frequent posts. I hope to offer reflections on the four advent themes: hope, peace, joy, and love as well as start to explore other aspects of the Christian church, and some other holidays as well.