BESIDES “THANKS” AND PRAISING, COMPLAINING TO GOD IS DEVOTION ALSO

There are natural disasters when everybody suffers from “collateral damage.” Babies just born are inflicted with painful diseases; some survive, others don’t. There are miseries, agony, and physical and mental afflictions without any cause or explanation from karmas.

Amid this storm of calamities and sufferings, wars rage in several parts of the world, from Ukraine to Gaza; the African continent remains entangled in endless conflicts—chaos, violence, despair—relentless, merciless.

And then there are ongoing bloody spills in Haiti, Myanmar and many parts of the world, extreme food and medicine shortages, and refugees seeking safe havens across dangerous borders and choppy waters.

In this poignant scenario, is it OK to complain, question, protest, and demand answers from God?

We are told to pray and praise Him. To ask for health, wealth, or peace of mind. But what about lamentation? What about grief poured out, raw and unfiltered? Do our prayers have to be confined to “Thank You” and praising God only?

Fretting to God is a deeply human expression of vulnerability and honesty that can also be an act of prayer. Expressions of gratitude and requests to seek something, from health to wealth, are integral aspects of worship, but lamentations should also be included in the sentiment of God’s grace.

If God is a Friend, shouldn’t we be able to vent? To cry out, to say, Why, God? Why this injustice?

Does it help? Maybe. Maybe not.

Or are we simply unloading, hoping for a miracle, while still singing His (or Her) praises?

What if the complaint is part of faith? What if questioning is a form of devotion as well?

-Promod Puri