What’s Giving You the Blues? Намуна

"Layin' in bed this mornin' with my face turned to the wall

Trying to count these blues so I could sing 'em all." 

 - Ma Rainey, Countin’ the Blues

That you’re probably not familiar with the name Ma Rainey is a travesty of how we’re taught American history. She was the mother of the Blues. She was a black woman, a businesswoman, a megastar, A Diva of Divas, the Beyoncé of her time. A giant.  

She was also, like everyone else, a complicated person. While on stage she was able to capture the sound and soul, the pain and the beauty of being black in a post-reconstruction/pre civil rights America. But beautiful truths don't free us from the ugliness that comes from living in a fallen world. Off stage, despite Ma’s strengths and success, she drowned daily in a deep reservoir of pain and loss. In short, her life was the Blues. 

Maybe you’ve got the Blues too.  

Maybe you’re suffering from choices you’ve made. Maybe it’s pain that you did nothing to deserve. Maybe you’ve wronged others and caused them to hurt. Maybe others have wronged you. Or maybe you feel like an angry world has got its boot on your neck. If you’re living in a state of pain, this Bible study is for you.  

Like many icons in the Bible, characters in the new Netflix film, "MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM," encounter tremendous hardships - and process it differently. Some question if God abandoned them. Some wonder if they deserve it. Some deny their pain. Some build a protective shell to never be hurt again. At various times in my life, I’ve done all of these things. I bet you have too.

The Scriptures aren't some sort of magic pill for our pain, but they do provide comfort, promises, assurance, a new perspective, and a path to joy and grace in the midst of suffering. So strap in let's talk about pain. 

Isaiah 42:1-4

Pretending To Not Be In Pain Doesn't Help

Have you ever had someone attempt to comfort you in a moment of pain, loss or struggle with some sort of Bible verse encouragement to continue in the faith? “Remember, sister, God is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than you can ask or think!" “Well you know, brother, the Bible says to rejoice...for the prayers of a righteous man availeth much!”  

When I'm hurting, a friend throwing platitude verses as a Band-aid on my pain doesn’t help! It feels like I'm not being listened to. It feels like I'm being reprimanded for being sad. I know that friend giving those verses is well-meaning. But when it’s not offered with empathy, listening, stillness and understanding, it transforms what was meant to comfort into rods of correction. Then I start feeling even worse; like, “Dang, I must be the problem because I'm still in pain, and by not choosing to turn my frown upside down, I must be making Jesus sad.”

I find the next step is often that most of us begin to just pretend with ourselves and others, like we're not hurt anymore. After all. “His burden is light” right? As if by repeating these words, the hurt will magically disappear! Just replace “wishing on a star” with wishing on a verse.

But that's just it - we are pretending. 

But we aren't fooling our wounded hearts. That suppressed pain builds up and finds its valve by lashing out at our roommate, spouse or kids, It turns into sleepless nights, back pain, and sometimes disillusionment and depression.

In "MA RAINEY," we see Levee (Chadwick Boseman) pretend like he's not really that hurt, but his bandmates can see he clearly is. He's hiding his pain in arrogance. We also see where comfort devolves into correction. 

In this reading of Isaiah - a poem the ancients spoke to each other to remind them of God’s goodness - we see declarative statements about what the Lord has done and will do. However, they are not delusional. This is not their current state of being. It is important to remember these scriptures are written from the perspective of the oppressed, like in the film, where systemic trauma and terror is shared by the four men in that basement. Isaiah proclaims the Lord's awareness of suffering. Take comfort in the truth that God is very aware of our condition.

Listen, belief in God isn’t some get-out-of-jail-free-card that somehow excuses us from the normal, horrible and beautiful experience of being human. Pretending “I’m fine” and lying to ourselves isn’t helping, either. Instead, remember that throughout the entire narrative of Scripture, God is on the side of justice, on the side of the broken-hearted, and is always listening to the oppressed. He is with us. He is on our side.

When you pray:

• Let yourself be angry, trust me, Jesus can handle it.
• Fully express what you are hurt over and why.
• Take some time to just sit in the stillness and quiet. Allow for space to feel fully. This is casting your cares on Him.