Who's in Your Chariot?

When a Roman general won a great military victory, he was rewarded with a celebratory parade through the streets of Rome. This parade, called a Triumph, would start with the captives and spoils of war, followed by the general riding in a gold-encrusted chariot, then his troops following behind. It was a glorious celebration and the citizens of Rome would line the streets to witness the spectacle and shout the general’s name. But one unexpected detail of the Roman Triumph is that someone would always ride in the chariot with the general throughout the entire parade. This person would hold a victor’s crown above the general's head and whisper in his ear, “Remember, you are still mortal.”There is something profoundly beautiful about this picture. A person who stands beside another in their moment of triumph in order to both honor and humble them. We all need people like this in our lives. We desperately need people who can celebrate our victories while still being willing to speak the hard truths. People who care for us enough to build us up, even if that means calling us out when our ego is getting in the way. King Solomon, one of the wisest leaders to ever live, wrote, “wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses” (Proverbs 27:6). In other words, be wary of people who will affirm you to your face and mock you behind your back, but cherish those true friends who love you enough to say the hard truths to your face. To clarify, he’s not talking about people who just want to throw stones. The world is sadly full of critics who revel in tearing others down. Avoid them. But surround yourself with people who care for you enough to call you out when you’re being a jerk. Because while their words might sting, they are a testament to their love for you.So who is in your chariot? 

It's Okay to Feel Sorrow

This morning, I woke with a single thought on my mind: it's okay to lament. It's okay to feel sorrow.

It's not disrespectful to our Shepherd to acknowledge that we're journeying through a dark valley in the shadow of the coronavirus. And we find hope in the empty grave. After all, the resurrection of Jesus reminds us that our worst day is not our last day. But that doesn't mean we should ignore our sorrow or bottle up our grief.

Rather, we follow David's example in the psalms of lament, as he poured out his emotions, his doubts, his fears. We do so knowing that our God is big enough to handle our emotions. And as David reminds us,"Though sorrow may last through the night, His joy comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5)

So below I've shared the poem that flowed out of my heart this morning. Admittedly, it's not so much a song of lament as it's a song of permission to lament. But perhaps that's what we need this morning: permission to lament. 

Let It All Out
A Psalm of Lament

When the skies are all cloudy, 
   and the tempest winds rage,
When the storms of life threaten 
   to sweep us away,

It’s ok to feel sadness; 
   it’s ok to ask, “Why?” 
God's not diminished 
   by the tears in your eye. 

He can handle your worry, 
   He can handle your doubt,
So stop holding it in,
   You can let it all out.

Sometimes it seems like 
   our Father's not home,
That He can't hear our cries, 
   that we lament alone.

But the Spirit that raised Jesus 
   and rolled away the gravestone, 
Draws near to bring comfort 
   and to interpret our groans,

So in this time of trouble, 
   if your heart's full of doubt, 
Please don’t hold it in, 
   You can let it all out. 

*****

We grieve, but we do not do so as those who have no hope. And tomorrow we will celebrate the fact that since Jesus lives, so does our hope. If you don't already have a church community to celebrate Easter with, then I invite you to join me online at 10AM. Just go to lighthousecommunity.com and click on "Live Stream." And feel free to share this invitation with others in your Sphere of Influence. After all, we are all walking through this dark valley, and we all need to be reminded that our hope lives.