So…. I was at the Y yesterday, where they have a large-print copy of the Bible in the foray. I’m always curious with what page was most recently chosen by a passerby. Yesterday, the Bible was opened to Chapter 1 of the Old Testament book Lamentations.
I’d never read it before. It is prosaic and sadly beautiful.
A few brief moments of research tells us that this is a poem written by the prophet Jeremiah – “lamenting” a once proud kingdom that was overrun and captured by a foreign power in 586 BCE. Jeremiah sees the downfall as an internal moral and spiritual decay of the people, rather than superiority of a foreign power.
Jerusalem is personified as a grieving, humbled widow.
1 The city that was full of people is lonely now. The city is like the wife of a dead husband. Once she was great. She was like a queen among the other places in the country.
Now she is a slave.
2 She weeps in the night and there are tears on her face. Not one of her lovers comforts her. All her friends have left her. They have gone against her and they are now her enemies.
5 The people’s enemies rule them now. Those who hate them have plenty.
The Lord has caused trouble for the people because they did so many wrong things.
The enemies took the children away to work as slaves.
6 Zion is no longer beautiful.
Her leaders are like animals without food.
They are too weak to run from their enemies.
16 We weep because of these things. Tears run down our faces because God is not with us.
Nobody will help us.
We are the children of this city and we have nothing now.
The enemy has won.’
17 Zion’s people ask for help, but nobody is their friend. They are Jacob’s children.
But the Lord has said that he will cause their enemies to come from every country near them.
Those other people think about Jerusalem as they would think about something dirty.
Some Background
The Book of Lamentations
The Book of Lamentations is a collection of poetic laments for the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC.In the Hebrew Bible, it appears in the Ketuvim (“Writings”) as one of the Five Megillot (“Five Scrolls”) alongside the Song of Songs, Book of Ruth, Ecclesiastes, and the Book of Esther.
Summary The book consists of five separate poems. In the first chapter, the city sits as a desolate weeping widow overcome with miseries. In chapter 2, these miseries are described in connection with national sins and acts of God. Chapter 3 speaks of hope for the people of God: that the chastisement would only be for their good; a better day would dawn for them. Chapter 4 laments the ruin and desolation of the city and temple, but traces it to the people’s sins. Chapter 5 (some) is a prayer that Zion’s reproach may be taken away in the repentance and recovery of the people. In some Greek copies, and in the Latin Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic versions, the last chapter is headed “The Prayer of Jeremiah”
[O]ther [motifs] “parallel the funeral dirge in which the bereaved bewails… and… addresses the [dead]”. The tone is bleak: God does not speak, the degree of suffering is presented as overwhelming, and expectations of future redemption are minimal.
Beginning with the reality of disaster, Lamentations concludes with the bitter possibility that God may have finally rejected Israel (5:22). Sufferers in the face of grief are not urged to a confidence in the goodness of God; in fact, God is accountable for the disaster. The poet acknowledges that this suffering is a just punishment, still God is held to have had choice over whether to act in this way and at this time. Hope arises from a recollection of God’s past goodness, but although this justifies a cry to God to act in deliverance, there is no guarantee that he will. Repentance will not persuade God to be gracious, since he is free to give or withhold grace as he chooses. In the end, the possibility is that God has finally rejected his people and may not again deliver them. Nevertheless, it also affirms confidence that the mercies of Yahweh (the God of Israel) never end, but are new every morning (3:22–33).
The first four chapters are written as acrostics. Chapters 1, 2, and 4 each have 22 verses, corresponding to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, the first lines beginning with the first letter of the alphabet, the second with the second letter, and so on. Chapter 3 has 66 verses, so that each letter begins three lines
The siege of Jerusalem (c. 589–587 BCE) was the final event of the Judahite revolts against Babylon, in which Nebuchadnezzar II, king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, besieged Jerusalem, the capital city of the Kingdom of Judah. Jerusalem fell after a 30-month siege, following which the Babylonians systematically destroyed the city and Solomon’s Temple. The Kingdom of Judah was dissolved and many of its inhabitants exiled to Babylon.
Imagine if “Jerusalem” was replaced by “America” – how it resonates!
1 How lonely sits the Country that once was full of people! How like a widow America has become, she that was great among the nations! She that was a shining beacon on the hill has become a slave.
2 America weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her citizens she has no one to comfort her; all her politicians have dealt treacherously with her, they have become her enemies.
3 America has gone into exile with suffering and hard servitude; she lives now among other nations, and finds no resting place; her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress.
5 Her foes have become the masters, her enemies prosper, because the Lord has made her suffer for the worship of an idol; her children have gone away, captives before the foe.
Let Us Pray for the Incels
[WLBOTT Dept. of Virtue and Vice: due to the academic and erudite nature of the discussion, we will deem this section “barely tolerable.”]
Apparently, incels are a driving economic force behind AI image generation. I guess this makes sense – they have more disposable income since they are not buying flowers, Valentine’s Day cards, hygiene products, dinners-for-two, etc. Let us pray that they incels find their way, their deodorant, their tooth brushes, gym clothes, and their manners.
For example, given this prompt,
A symbolic and dramatic digital painting depicting America personified as a mature widowed queen, inspired by the imagery of Lamentations. She wears a tattered yet regal gown in faded red, white, and blue, and a tarnished crown that slips from her head. Seated on the ruins of a crumbling city, she gazes downward, sorrowful and weary, with shackles on her wrists symbolizing servitude to foreign powers. In the background, towering figures representing external influences loom over her, while distant storm clouds part slightly, hinting at a glimmer of hope. The image should convey loss, resilience, and the weight of history.
Here’s what NightCafe comes up with…..
An Analysis by Elder G
WLBOTT: Good morning, Elder G. Hope you are well today. I was reading the Old Testament book “Lamentations,” and I saw historical parallels between the fall of Jerusalem and the troubles in America today. Could you comment?
Elder G: Good morning, UC#4! I’m doing well—hope you are too. That’s a deep and thought-provoking connection you’re making.
Lamentations is a poetic and profoundly sorrowful reflection on the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. The prophet Jeremiah (traditionally considered the author) mourns the city’s downfall, attributing it to the people’s unfaithfulness and moral decline, but also recognizing external forces, particularly the Babylonian conquest. The book is filled with despair, yet it also contains moments of hope and a belief in renewal through faith and repentance.
In terms of historical parallels with America today, several themes stand out:
Moral and Social Decline – Lamentations describes a society that ignored justice, where corruption and complacency led to disaster. Many observers today express concerns about the erosion of ethical values, rising division, and a loss of shared purpose in American society.
Political and Economic Instability – The people of Jerusalem had trusted in their leaders and alliances (with Egypt, for example) but found themselves abandoned in crisis. Similarly, today’s America faces political turmoil, economic uncertainty, and an erosion of trust in institutions.
Exile and Displacement – Lamentations is a book of exile—people losing their homeland and identity. While not a literal exile, many Americans feel alienated from their own country due to social and political shifts, economic hardship, or cultural fragmentation.
Divine Judgment vs. Human Responsibility – The book presents Jerusalem’s fall as both divine punishment and the consequence of human choices. Similarly, America’s struggles—whether in governance, economics, or social cohesion—can be seen as the result of accumulated decisions rather than random misfortune.
Hope Amidst Ruin – Lamentations doesn’t end in total despair. It includes a call to return to righteousness and rebuild: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” (Lamentations 3:22-23). This speaks to resilience—the idea that, even in times of crisis, renewal and reform are possible.
Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem (Rembrandt)
