Prayers of Lament: Responding to the Violence of Racism

Biblical lament shows us how to express deep sorrow, name suffering and cry out for God. “Laments tell the truth of the suffering that is smothering our worthiness, our dreams, our ability to work toward a better tomorrow,” writes womanist scholar Dr. Emilie M. Townes. “Naming these horrors in an unrestrained lament helps mold us into a people who respond with an emphatic ‘No!’ to the ways our nation and our communities of faith are turned into graven images of hatred and despair.”

These laments are written by Mennonite Church USA pastors, leaders, lay people, students — people from different races, cultures, languages. We invite you to pray and lament along with them, hoping you will find the words you need to pray deeply in this time.