Abstract

This paper offers a parallel examination of lament as described in Lamentations 5 and experienced in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. It explores how communal lament, theological hope, and the pursuit of restoration in the book of Lamentations resonate with the Congolese experience of suffering and resilience. By drawing parallels between the biblical text and contemporary realities, the study highlights the role of lament as both a truthful expression of pain and a catalyst for spiritual and social renewal. The paper also shows how the Congo Initiative – Christian Bilingual University of Congo (CI-UCBC) responds to lament in its context.

A. The Contexts of Congo and Lamentations 

As I was finalizing this draft, we got distressing news. Over fifty individuals had been beheaded in Komanda, a crossroads municipality in the Ituri province, linking Ituri to North-Kivu and Province Orientale, where houses and vehicles had been burnt. Among the victims were about 40 Christians attending a spiritual retreat at a Catholic chapel. Three of my colleagues from CI-UCBC along with many members of my local church were mourning the loss of relatives as a result. While profoundly tragic, this incident is only one among countless similar episodes over the past three decades, which have been marked by brutal violence. Indiscriminate killings, widespread arson, and mass displacement have amounted to over six million documented deaths. In response, church communities in eastern Congo lament before God, crying, “Till when, Lord? Restore your people!”

The biblical book of Lamentations arises from a similar context of profound sorrow and despair. Scholars agree that the text mourns the siege and destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians and the devastating effects on survivors’ lives (Berlin 2004; Dobbs-Allsopp 2002; Hillers 2009). The text also reflects on the community’s sinfulness as the cause of their suffering (cf. 1:5, 8; 4:6; 5:7). As nostalgic literature, it evokes memories of the city before destruction. This contrast between Zion’s former glory and its ruins allows readers to grasp the full extent of the loss lamented by the author. 

God is portrayed as ordaining chaos to punish the people’s sins (2:1-8). Yet, paradoxically, the text affirms faith in Yahweh, depicting Him as merciful with endless compassion and, therefore, offering hope of restoration (3:19-66). Similarly, when trauma threatens to extinguish hope in eastern Congo, biblical texts like Lamentations inspire a longing for renewal amid deep suffering. Thus, reflecting on the reasons for lament, such as listed in Lamentations 5, reminds us that life under the sun can be very fragile, and that God remains the source of true hope.

B. Ten Reasons for Lament from Lamentations and in the Congo 

Westermann’s definition of lament is worth consideration here: lament is “the language of suffering” (1994, 89). In other words, lament is the “expression” of suffering by the sufferer. This section discusses ten reasons for lament drawn from Lamentations 5. Each will be briefly examined in parallel with corresponding grounds for lament in today’s context of eastern Congo. Since CI-UCBC began in response to this context of lament, the paper will mention some of CI-UCBC’s efforts in rebuilding hope for the Congo – particularly through its community engagements programs. Such intertwining of Scripture and lived reality seems appropriate because, in a context of lament, CI-UCBC is more than a university: It is as interested in community transformation as in academics. Each of its community engagement programs links to an academic program.

1. The people’s shame

“Remember, O LORD, what has come upon us” (5:1)

Lamentations 5 opens with a plea for God’s attention amid deep public disgrace. The word “shame” (ḥerpâ) signifies dishonor from enemies and the pain of feeling abandoned by God. This communal shame reveals a shattered identity. In ancient Judah, shame meant social exclusion and loss of status. The poet urges God to remember His people – not from forgetfulness but to act on their behalf. As Berlin (2002, 113) states, “God’s remembering would mean restoration.”

Similarly, the urgent cry from eastern Congo’s communities – “Remember us, O God, amid our suffering” – expresses a profound plea for divine justice amid deep humiliation. The sense of ḥerpâ (shame) reflects both the physical violence from armed groups and the spiritual abandonment experienced by a people whose identity and dignity are shattered. This shame fractures social bonds. In cultures that value honor and belonging, such disgrace causes marginalization and despair. Yet, like the biblical lament, this cry calls for God’s restorative memory, affirming that God has not forgotten our suffering.

2. Inheritance turned over to strangers

“Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, Our houses to foreigners” (Lam. 5:2)

This verse mourns the loss of ancestral land, which was central to Israel’s and therefore Judah’s covenant identity (cf. Josh. 13–21). Dispossession has both economic and theological consequences as it marks the breaking of covenant blessings (see Deuteronomy 28). Thus, foreign occupation violates Judah’s legacy. Dobbs-Allsopp (2002, 163) notes that land inheritance was core to Judah’s identity, and its loss is deeply dislocating. The poet grieves as foreigners now occupy the Judeans’ former home.

In eastern Congo, families fleeing violence from foreign militias have lost their ancestral land, which was once a symbol of divine provision and stability. This displacement brings trauma, further ruptures social ties, and erodes spiritual memory. The land, burdened by injustice, groans in pain. As Katongole (2010, 162) writes, “When the soil of memory and meaning is torn away, identity itself begins to wither.” In response, CI-UCBC’s Natural Resource Governance program has significantly advanced fair practices of land governance in the DRC by advocating for and supporting the DRC National Land Policy, which was approved in 2022. CI-UCBC’s program utilizes innovative approaches like GIS/GPS technology and community organizing to map land rights, improve transparency, and reduce conflict. People cannot live with certainty on their land and steward it well if they do not know where their ownership begins and ends; justice cannot be executed where there is uncertainty about land rights. So, through its partnership with organizations like UN-Habitat and Global Land Tool Network, CI-UCBC has also facilitated participatory land-use planning, strengthened local land tenure security, and built capacity among various land stakeholders in territories within eastern Congo.   

3. Proliferation of orphans and widows

“We have become orphans without a father, Our mothers are like widows” (5:3)

This verse portrays societal collapse through the image of orphans and widows, symbols of extreme vulnerability in ancient Judah, usually safeguarded by covenant law (Exod. 22:22–24; Deut. 10:18). Their growing number in Jerusalem reflects widespread death and the breakdown of social protection (Hillers 1972, 102). The poet depicts all Judah as abandoned and exposed, with the loss of fathers and husbands marking the collapse of male leadership and a fragile postwar society.

Eastern Congo’s decades-long conflict, fueled by over a hundred armed groups, has torn families apart, leaving behind countless orphans and widows. The loss of fathers and husbands has weakened male leadership and disrupted community life. Many children grow up without paternal guidance. As Autesserre (2010, 94) notes, “In eastern Congo, the multiplication of widows and orphans symbolizes a shattered social fabric struggling to rebuild itself.” In response, CI-UCBC runs a primary and secondary feeder school (La Charité Bilingue du Congo) that offers holistic education and special care to vulnerable children – including orphans – to nurture their self-esteem, confidence, and trust in God for the future.

4. Paying for our own goods

“We have to pay for our drinking water, Our wood comes to us at a price” (5:4)

This lament exposes the humiliation of economic exploitation, where even basic resources like water and firewood must be purchased from foreign occupiers. House (2004, 418) notes, “What once was part of the people’s inheritance is now withheld, sold back to them by their oppressors.” In Judahite tradition, land and its produce were divine gifts (Deut. 8:7–10). Having to pay for what God once provided freely signals a curse. Oppression infiltrates daily life, turning each act of survival into a painful reminder of lost freedom and dignity.

In eastern Congo, vital resources like water and firewood have grown scarce, often falling under the control of armed groups or corrupt actors. Though the nation could feed much of Africa, millions of displaced people now depend on food aid from NGOs. During a critical suspension of USAID funding, CI-UCBC’s Center for Church Renewal and Global Mission (CRGM) distributed emergency aid to thousands, thanks to special designated support from generous Christian donors. Yet, as in ancient Judah, the loss of context-rooted provision deepens feelings of helplessness and shame, especially that the need remains great. This reminds Stearns’s suggestion that survival occurs in a cruel economy of scarcity and exploitation, where even basic needs are entangled with dependence and lost dignity (Stearns 2011, 203).

5. Helplessness and exhaustion of the people

“Our pursuers are at our necks; We are worn out, there is no rest for us” (5:5)

This lament captures the exhaustion of a people constantly pursued, without reprieve. The phrase “at our necks” (ʿal-tsavareinu) suggests suffocating pressure and relentless harassment. The cry “there is no rest” echoes covenant curses (cf. Deut. 28:65), revealing how judgment has touched both body and soul. The people are not just physically drained but spiritually depleted, exiles in their own land. The Hebrew word for “rest,” menūḥāh, often connoted divine blessing (cf. Ps. 23:2), yet here its absence signals divine silence (Salters 2010, 420). Simply put, exhaustion becomes an identity.

This lament reflects the deep exhaustion endured by communities in eastern Congo, where ongoing violence weighs heavily “upon their necks,” creating an atmosphere of fear. Many avoid travel or farming due to rebel threats. Insecurity confines them to overcrowded cities with limited opportunities. People are weary of inactivity, of struggling to provide for their families, and of hearing endless reports of bloodshed. Even believers grow tired of praying and preachers of preaching hope. There is no menūḥāh (rest), as the absence of peace drains both body and spirit. Survival has become a relentless burden, as exhaustion now defines daily existence (Autesserre 2014, 137).

6. Heavy dependence on others

“We have submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread” (5:6)

This verse highlights political and economic desperation, as Judah turns to Egypt and Assyria – former oppressors – for sustenance, reversing trust in God. Ignoring prophetic warnings (cf. Isa. 30:1–3; Hos. 7:11), the people surrender agency, as suggested by the Hebrew root nāṯan (“submitted” or “given”) (Westermann 1994, 141). The irony is striking: those once freed from Egypt now plead for bread from the very powers they were delivered from.

Three decades earlier, the Congo stood as a regional leader in education, industry, healthcare, and security. Today, it depends heavily on neighboring countries. This shift marks a painful erosion of national agency: communities once relatively self-reliant now depend on groups that control basic necessities. Such dependence weakens the nation’s social and spiritual foundations, echoing prophetic critiques against misplaced trust in foreign powers rather than in God (cf. Isa. 30:1–3). As Stearns (2011, 119) notes, coerced reliance on militias for basic needs symbolizes a profound loss of dignity and sovereignty. The tragic irony lies in this: those who yearn for freedom now find themselves bound by the very forces they hoped to escape. As a partial response to this, the CI-UCBC Faculties of Economics, Theology, and the CI-UCBC Development Office are putting in place projects that seek to empower people to produce local products. These projects include a mini-cocoa refinery, fish pond, agro-forestry, and the support of small businesses and qualified start-ups. These programs aim to reduce the local population’s dependence on foreign industries. 

7. Rape of women

“Women in Zion have been raped, Virgins in the cities of Judah” (5:11)

This verse is one of the chapter’s most harrowing, exposing sexual violence as a brutal reality of war. The Hebrew verb ʿinnah (to violate or humiliate) exposes the horror of rape. Boase (2006) considers this especially problematic in Israel/Judah, where it breaches the Covenant, with serious punishment (cfr. Deut. 22:25-27). The reference to Zion and Judah’s cities underscores the widespread nature of this trauma, portraying rape as an assault on collective identity and covenant dignity. The lament calls for honest confrontation with such suffering.

As for the Congo, Prunier (2010, 254) observes that “Sexual violence in the Congo is a weapon aimed at destroying the social fabric and violating the very personhood of victims.” In fact, the Congo is described by many as the “rape capital of the world.” From urban centers to remote villages, women bear the brunt of war’s cruelty. Rape is even more rampant in circles where women are not given equal opportunities for education and decision-making. 

Lament refuses to conceal this horror; truth-telling becomes an act of resistance and a call for justice. So, in response, CI-UCBC organizes programs for women’s empowerment. These include Women Voices, a CI-UCBC-based para-academic program that plans and implements activities in order to raise awareness of women’s equal value before God and to promote positive masculinity. Another CI-UCBC program is Nyota Leadership, a 6-month training course for women in partnership with Impact Now (a USA-based non-profit). This program seeks to empower women with modules such as entrepreneurship, work-family balance, and grant writing and management, among others. Moreover, the CI-UCBC leadership continually works to identify sponsors who are willing to support women’s education at various levels (primary, secondary and university).

8. The hunt of the elite

“Leaders were hung by their hands; Elders were shown no respect” (5:12)

This verse reveals the systematic humiliation of civic and moral leadership. Hanging leaders “by their hands” implies torture, bringing public disgrace. The Hebrew root zāqēn (elder), connoting wisdom and authority, is mentioned alongside desecration, reflecting Judah’s societal collapse. When the wise are scorned, moral decay follows. As O’Connor (2002, 83) notes, “The leadership’s downfall reflects shattered community values and a fractured identity.” This verse mourns not only political ruin but the loss of collective memory and guidance.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has experienced a steady decline in political and moral leadership. Those who advocate for justice often face threats, imprisonment, or assassination, resulting in a loss of authority. This climate has led to significant brain drain, as many educated elites seek safety abroad. The Swahili term mzee, once honoring wisdom and moral guidance, is increasingly disregarded. In some villages, armed groups behead elders and children alike. As autocrats and militias compete for power, leadership collapses (Prunier 2009, 185). This lament mourns not only instability but also the erosion of communal memory, ethical direction, and justice system. In fact, many cases of brain drain in the Congo are linked to the fear of corrupt justice system. To respond to this, CI-UCBC’s Law faculty runs the Association of Christian Lawyers which aims to empower and encourage Christian lawyers to stand for justice no matter the cost, standing as Kingdom agents in the nation’s judiciary system.

9. Enslavement of the people

“Young men worked at the grinding mill, And youths stumbled under loads of wood” (5:13)

This verse describes forced labor, especially among the youth, often seen as a sign of future hope. Now, young men are depicted in servile roles, grinding grain and carrying wood, tasks associated with slave labor (cf. Exod. 11:5). The Hebrew word naʿar (young man) underscores the tragedy: Judah’s vitality is crushed under exploitation. Their stumbling (from kāshal) reflects both physical and spiritual collapse. LaSor (1996, 573) writes, “The young who were meant to flourish under God’s blessing are now emblems of humiliation and exhaustion.” The reversal is complete: what should rise now sinks.

In eastern Congo, many young men – once symbols of hope and future vitality – are trapped in forced labor, especially in artisanal mining, or recruited into armed militias. The Kiswahili word kijana (young man), once full of promise, now evokes fear, referring to child-soldiers who lack any military code. As Autesserre (2014, 162) notes, “The youth of Congo, burdened with endless toil under armed groups, represent a generation robbed of its promise and identity.” This lament reflects a distortion of purpose and theft of the future. In response, CI-UCBC’s CRGM holds youth conferences and offers skill-based training to inspire young people to embrace dignified work and resist the despair of forced labor and violence. 

10. Joy turned into mourning

“The joy of our hearts has ended; Our dancing has turned into mourning” (5:15)

This haunting contrast captures the emotional core of communal lament. The imagery of dancing (māḥōl) transforming into mourning (ʾēḇel) speaks of a society whose festivals have become funerals. Joy, once collective and sacred (cf. Ps. 30:11), is now silenced by grief. This verse echoes Lamentations 1:4 and 2:10, showing that sorrow is not momentary; rather, it defines life under judgment. As Dillard and Longman (1994, 338) note, “The transformation of joy into grief is more than psychological; it’s theological—it signals a rupture in Judah’s covenant life with God.” Lament doesn’t deny sorrow; it names it. Only through honest mourning can healing begin.

This painful contrast reveals the heart of communal lament in eastern Congo. Traditional festivals that once fostered unity now echo with memories of violence and displacement. Joy (cf. Ps. 30:11), has been silenced by sorrow. Worship services have been disrupted or ended by militia attacks in numerous villages. As Stearns (2011, 310) notes, “The loss of communal joy underscores the fractured nature of Congolese society.” In response, CI-UCBC’s Faculty of Psychology runs the Bethesda Counseling Center which hosts “music therapy” sessions, where people dance to songs of praise, regardless of their burdens. This offers hope and as it provides a space where mourning progressively begins to turn into dancing. 

C. Building Hope and Seeking Restoration 

Although lament is essential, it is not the final response but a necessary step toward rebuilding hope and seeking restoration. While researching my PhD at Tyndale House in Cambridge (UK), a British scholar invited me to dinner. After hearing about the suffering in eastern Congo, he asked why we run a university there and why I pursue a PhD. I replied, “The greater the darkness, the greater the need for light. We need more Christian universities and PhDs because we have more ruins to rebuild, in many respects, than you do.”

Without hope, CI-UCBC would not have opened in 2007, nor would its 1,000+ graduates be impacting church and society today. I would not have studied or now be serving there. Our community engagement programs – and the hope they bring – would be non-existent. I would not be teaching, preaching, or writing this paper on hope and reconstruction. In times of deep darkness, the need for light becomes urgent. Hope inspires action, and through it, the path to restoration begins to emerge. Lamentations 5:19–22 outlines three steps integral to the process of restoration.

1. Recognizing God as the ruler

“You, LORD, rule forever; Your throne is from generation to generation” (5:19)

This confession of God’s eternal kingship stands in stark contrast to the surrounding despair. Amid national collapse, the poet anchors hope in divine sovereignty. The Hebrew verb mālaḵ (to reign) highlights God’s unshakable rule, reminding the people that while human kingship failed (cf. Lam. 4:20), God’s reign is eternal. His kisseʾ (throne) persists beyond generational trauma. This affirmation signals a pivot in the poem: grief does not erase God’s authority (Ellington 2008, 139). Even in lament, faith recognizes that God’s rule is not negated by suffering but reaffirmed through endurance.

In the midst of all the troubles we experience in eastern Congo, three months ago, CI-UCBC invited Christian churches of the city of Beni for a 2-day prayer rally. Beni, where CI-UCBC is located, is a city in North-Kivu (a province whose control is now divided between the Congolese government and the M-23 rebels). There have been massacres in the surroundings of Beni since 2014. As the body of Christ, we confessed together God’s enduring sovereignty as a beacon of hope. In the face of national fragmentation and suffering, this was a time for the Christian community to affirm the unshakable mālaḵ (rule) of God and the unshakable kisseʾ(throne) of God, which remain steadfast through generations of trauma. This affirmation marks a crucial turning point: lament does not deny God’s authority but trusts in its ultimate triumph (Katongole 2011, 174). 

2. Sincerely pouring hearts before God

“Why do You forget us forever? Why do You abandon us for so long?” (5:20)

This raw question echoes a recurring lamentation motif: divine absence. The language does not imply atheism or rejection but deep relational pain. The Hebrew root šākaḥ (to forget) expresses perceived abandonment, a felt theological crisis. Yet, asking “why?” is itself an act of faith because it addresses God, not silence. The psalmic tradition affirms that lament is a legitimate form of worship (cf. Ps. 13:1). Here, Judah pours out its heart honestly, vulnerably. As Brueggemann (2014, 69) notes, “Judah’s capacity to speak unguardedly to God—even in accusation—is part of its covenant boldness.” Lamentations teaches us that sincere prayer includes grief and protest, not just praise.

This raw, heartfelt question echoes a familiar motif among eastern Congolese communities: the painful sense of divine absence amid suffering. The Kiswahili concept of kusahau (to forget) captures the felt abandonment and deep spiritual crisis that many are experiencing. Yet posing “why?” is itself an act of faith, a vulnerable reaching out rather than turning away. Just as the psalmists taught that lament is a valid form of worship (cf. Ps. 13:1), we in the Congo need to learn not just to praise (which we often do well even in hardship) but also to pour out our grief and protest openly to God. Lament becomes a sacred space for honest prayer. 

3. Dealing with the causes of chaos

“Restore us to You, LORD, so that we may be restored; Renew our days as of old, Unless You have utterly rejected us And are exceedingly angry with us” (5:21-22)

This final plea mixes hope and uncertainty. The Hebrew verb šûḇ (“restore/return”) appears twice in verse 21, expressing a longing for relational and national renewal. Judah’s crisis stemmed from sin and separation from God, so the cry is clear: “Restore us to you!” Only then can true socio-political restoration begin. Echoing prophetic promises (cf. Jer. 31:18; Hos. 14:1), this spiritual reconnection anticipates broader transformation. Yet verse 22 introduces doubt. Fear of complete rejection lingers. As Parry (2010, 211) notes, however, “This ambiguity is theologically intentional—it invites God to respond.” The people seek more than changed circumstances; they long for restored covenant presence. The future remains open, dependent entirely on God’s mercy to act.

For eastern Congolese communities, this final plea invites deep reflection on the roots of our suffering and a commitment to address its causes. Restoration must begin with returning to God through repentance from corruption and selfishness. It also requires transforming political systems to uphold justice and resist evil at every level. Strengthening foreign partnerships and working diligently under God’s mālaḵ (rule) and kisseʾ (throne) are essential. Ultimately, the future remains open, while true restoration depends on both divine mercy and human responsibility.

Conclusion

This contextual reading of Lamentations 5 alongside the lived realities of eastern Congo reveals the enduring relevance of biblical lament. In both contexts, lament is not merely an expression of grief but a sacred pathway toward healing, hope, and restoration. It gives voice to suffering, names injustice, and invites divine remembrance. For communities in eastern Congo, as for ancient Judah, lament becomes a theological and communal act that transforms trauma into prayer, despair into a resilient longing for renewal and justice, and inaction into action. We in eastern Congo greatly need the global body of Christ to join our prayers and efforts as we trust God together for restoration. 

References

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