Lament

O LORD, God of my salvation,

I cry out day and night before you.

Let my prayer come before you;

incline your ear to my cry!

For my soul is full of troubles,

and my life draws near to Sheol.

I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, like one set loose among the dead,

like the slain that lie in the grave,

like those whom you remember no more,

for they are cut off from your hand.

You have put me in the depths of the pit,

 in the regions dark and deep.

Your wrath lies heavy upon me,

and you overwhelm me with all your waves.

You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror to them.

I am shut in so that I cannot escape;

my eye grows dim through sorrow.

Every day I call upon you, O LORD;

I spread out my hands to you.

Do you work wonders for the dead?

Do the departed rise up to praise you?

Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon?

Are your wonders known in the darkness,

or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

But I, O LORD, cry to you in the morning

my prayer comes before you.

O LORD, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me?

Psalms 88

After this Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate if he could take away the body of Jesus. Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one because he feared the Jewish authorities. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and took the body away.

John 19:31-38

Mercy

Lord have mercy.

Christ have mercy.

Lord have mercy on me.

I Know.

Deep down in my heart,

my broken and shattered heart,

I know.

I know it is over.

I know you are gone,

and that knowing

has opened the gates,

broken the dam,

and the torrent begins

like the flood of old,

a deluge falling from the heavens,

and from my heart.

It’s pouring so hard, 

and I feel… so much.

I wish I didn’t know,

I wish I couldn’t see,

I wish I could just reach out 

and grasp the hands of time,

and turn them back upon themselves

until all things were right

and whole once again.

I wish — but I know,

it never will be,

not like it was – 

but just like it is.

How do I move forward

through this mess of my grief?

How do I wade through 

this river of tears?

I don’t have the answers.

I don’t have the strength.

I can’t do it alone.

I can’t do it in silence.

All images in this installation are copyrighted by Matthew Nelson 2021