Rather than holding the groan of our culture at a distance or ignoring it altogether, lament has the potential to open our hearts to enter into the pain. It can topple the idol of wanting to live in Mayberry, an idealistic world insulated from the problems around us. What are the cultural issues you tend to ignore? Perhaps you can take a few minutes in your next prayer time to join the groans of your neighbors or your city. Talk to God about the challenges of generational poverty, divorce, teen pregnancy, racism, unemployment, drug addiction, and any other social ill you can remember. As you
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