"How long, O Lord?" How long? Ever ask that question? Most of us have. They say, "Into each life a little rain must fall," but the truth is that there are times when the rain becomes such a downpour that we are about to drown in the deluge.

"How long, O Lord." Familiar words from the beginning of the 13th Psalm, one of those marvelous bits of biblical insight we have come to call the "Psalms of Lament."(1) For what it's worth, almost half of the Psalms fall into this category.

For that matter, laments are found, not only in the Book of Psalms, but are part and parcel of the biblical witness - humanity cries out, God responds. As you know, there is even one Old Testament book called Lamentations. The ancient writers regularly expressed their deepest feelings - words of praise at times; at…