Michael Card’s new album is about lamentations and sorrow:

Lament is a thread that moves through the Bible, especially the Psalms. They’re honest, and I think that honesty is a big thing missing in the church today, especially in light of events like Katrina and the tsunami.

I’d been looking at those passages and trying to take them personally. My nephew died, my two nieces died, a friend died, and the lament gave me a voice to articulate those things.

[…]

When you read Job, you see his friends are answer men – they have answers for all his problems. But one of the things you get from Job is that God is not the answer man. He doesn’t always answer our questions.

We see Paul lamenting his affliction. If anyone should have had a prosperity-gospel life, it’s Paul. But he has this thorn in the flesh and he’s ticked. It’s almost like Paul had a lesson to learn about grace.

Suffering happens, and we think, “This shouldn’t be happening.” So we’re left with two choices: Either there is no God, or something else is happening that I don’t understand. We don’t realize that God is more interested in making us holy than in making us happy.

Card is probably one of the most thoughtful musicians out there today. I really enjoy his OT album, he brought a freshness to the stories. He made me realize that at the transfiguration Moses finally entered the promise land. What a wonderful end to his story! It’s amazing how God tied all those threads from the OT together and completed them in Christ.
OK, back to the parables, I’m trying to study for my Gospels final tonight but I keep getting distracted. Prayer would be helpful 🙂