Kate’s sermon calls us into a season of lament, the sacred practice of crying out to God when faced with pain or suffering. She shares the image of Jesus lamenting over Jerusalem, expressing his sorrow for a people who reject God’s love. Jesus compares himself to a mother hen longing to gather her children under her wings, showing us a God who responds to violence and pain with fierce, nurturing love. This tender metaphor invites us to reflect on our own instinct to protect those we love and challenges us to extend that care to those far away or different from us. Lament, Kate explains, is not the same as complaining, nor is it just about crying out in anguish, but about seeing the world as it truly is—broken, unjust, and in need of God’s healing.
Through the touching story of a Ukrainian woman she spoke with who is grieving the horrors of war, Kate reminds us that lament is an active, faithful response to suffering. It allows us to process pain, see clearly, and recognize where God is at work. Jesus teaches us that God grieves with us, gathering us like a mother hen, even as the world feels overwhelming. At Epiphany, this call to lament is leading us to stand with our Ukrainian neighbors, offering tangible support and relationship. Through our common tears, we are drawn closer to God and to one another, becoming bearers of hope in a hurting world.
Reflection Questions for this Week:
- Kate quotes N.T. Wright on tears being “the lens through which we see things clearly.” When have you experienced this in your life?
- The image of God as a mother hen shows a nurturing, protective love that embraces all of God’s children. How does this image challenge or enrich your understanding of God?
- Kate shares the story of the Ukrainian woman who lamented, “I don’t know who is going to help us.” How can we, as a community, respond to such cries for help and embody God’s protective love in the face of suffering?