The framework for psalms of lament is a form involving a direct address to God, a description of the situation in which help is needed, a confession of trust, a petition for help and a vow of praise (with sometimes a curse on the enemies perceived to be causing the suffering). This form provides a structure for suffering which so often is needed: these times of bewilderment leave us reeling, disoriented and afraid because of the uncertainty engendered in us, and having some structured form to guide us in prayer can be very helpful.

Communal psalms of lament remind us also that suffering is not simply individual: it is part of the human condition and part of the life of a community of faith. Perspective and hope can be restored as God’s faithfulness is realised (Ps 44:4-8, Ps 60:6-8), and there is a need for the journey through the staging posts of grief, denial, anxiety and acceptance. These psalms walk us through every stage of the journey and allow us to remain whole, even when we are broken by tragedy and grief. Each of these psalms may shout out with loss and grief, but there are ‘echoes of mercy, whispers of love’ (‘Blessed Assurance’) in each one. Lament is a vital part of life (as the book of Lamentations, with its tightly controlled acrostic framework, makes plain), but it is only one part of life. Paul urges us to ‘rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.’ (Rom 12:15) May the Psalms frame our ability to rejoice and mourn in Biblical ways, never losing hope, always trusting God to be with us, no matter what our situations.

What do we do when we feel unfairly treated – not only by other people, but by God? How do we handle questions without answers? What do we do when life is difficult and all our previous certainties and assurances about and from God seem to have dissolved like melting snow? How do we grieve as a community and lament corporately?

The Psalms of Lament give us answers to these questions, articulating for us the many questions and feelings of bewilderment, hurt, confusion and deep sorrow which life brings, as well as giving us ‘climbing pegs’ or anchor points on which we can put our weight as we climb through life’s challenges.

Psalm 44 looks at the sense of abandonment by God (Ps 44:9-16) which defeat brought to Israel. What makes this worse for the people is their sense of innocence (Ps 44:17-22), the sense that this punishment is not deserved. Disaster is viewed as coming directly from God (Ps 60:1-3, Ps 80:4-6) and rejection as hard to bear (Ps 74:1). Tragedies such as the invasion of Israel and the desecration of the temple form the theme of some communal psalms of lament (e.g. Ps 74, Ps 79), with a sense of heaviness and burden caused not only by the situation and sin, but by the mocking of unbelievers (Ps 79:10) and a longing to see others acknowledge the might and majesty of God (Ps 79:10-13).

These psalms encourage us to voice our questions and bring our woes directly to God. So often, we take these things to everyone else or else we squash them, repressing the feelings and internalising our grief, failing to address God directly. It does us no good to refuse to acknowledge the doubts and fears which erode our faith. Instead, these psalms show us how to be honest with God.

These psalms also show us that even in the midst of doubt and pain and questions, there is a willingness to hold on to known truths about God. Ps 44:1-3 acknowledges God’s mighty actions for Israel in the past. Psalm 74:12-17 acknowledges God’s creative power and might. Psalm 80:1-2 looks at God as Shepherd and guide (see also Ps 23) and acknowledges God’s might and power: ‘You sit enthroned between the cherubim’, cf Ps 99:1, Is 37:16). Psalm 85:1-3 looks at God’s restoration, forgiveness and cessation from anger in the past, with later verses (Ps 85:10-13), focussing on God’s love, faithfulness, righteousness, peace and provision. Our tendency is to let these truths slip through our fingertips like sand when the stormy times hit, but the psalmists show us that doubt and faith, questions and trust, pain and rejoicing, sorrow and joy can indeed co-exist side by side.

It’s quite possible that some of you may be thinking I have painted an incredibly rosy picture of pregnancy and life so far. What about those who suffer illness during pregnancy? The condition hyperemesis gravidarum (suffered by the Duchess of Cambridge in her pregnancies) can be life-threatening and is certainly debilitating and difficult to deal with. What about children conceived because of rape? How can the mother be expected to give birth in those circumstances? What about disabilities discovered before birth? Surely it’s unreasonable to expect us to give birth in these circumstances and abortion is the kindest solution to life’s injustices and difficulties?

What we believe about the sanctity of life has to be worked out in the messy realities of life, but our behaviour will never be determined by circumstances alone. What we believe has profound consequences as to how we live. It is impossible to stress this enough and we have to ensure that our beliefs are founded on God’s Word and not simply on our circumstances or own understanding. We have to live, not by what we feel, but by the truth God’s Word reveals. (‘East To West’, Casting Crowns)

The birth of Jesus was not ideal. Mary was a virgin, probably only about fourteen years old, when she received the news that she would give birth to the Saviour of the world. The shame of being an unmarried mother would have been great. Even Joseph had his doubts about her! (Matt 1:19) Her story of an immaculate conception would have received derision and ridicule. She was not in a good place, realistically speaking.

It costs to live according to God’s Word, but Mary’s response gives us the clue as to how we can do this: ^‘“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”’ (Luke 1:38) In the messiness of life, in the ‘not ideal’ circumstances we find ourselves in, we have to hold on to God and believe His promises can be fulfilled and good can even come from evil if we will only trust Him.

The Bible makes it clear that life begins at fertilisation. It talks of us being ‘knit together’ in our mother’s womb (Ps 139:13-16) and the angel’s announcements to Mary and Joseph talk of conception being the start of life. Admittedly in the case of Jesus, this was a conception like no other, but it is a fact that, under normal circumstances, when the male sperm fertilises the female egg, life starts and the result of this, in time, will be the birth of a baby, a genetically unique individual.

Nowadays, through technology, we can even see the baby inside the womb. I have a photograph near the computer of my granddaughter’s 12 week scan: I constantly marvel at the clarity of this picture, even down to her large forehead and snub nose! Doctors tell us that at three weeks, the baby’s heart starts to beat and at eight weeks, all its organs are in place. As early as ten weeks, the baby has fingerprints! We know so much more now about life before birth, and it is a wonderful thing to behold.

Many in our society dispute the fact that life starts at conception, however. For them, life does not begin until the actual birth, or it occurs later on in the pregnancy when the ‘bunch of cells’ becomes a foetus. Such reasoning is dangerous, because it allows for people to think of abortion – the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy – as something ‘humane’ or ‘necessary’, rather than the deliberate taking of human life, which commonly would be termed murder.

The Christmas story reminds us that life begins way before we hold a screaming baby in our arms. The Bible takes us on this long journey from conception to birth (see Matt 1 & 2; Luke 1) to remind us, among other things, of the sanctity of life. Society is all the poorer when it forgets this.