A requiem (I love that word) is a funeral song or chant, and the word lamentation is to mourn or grieve. Sadness is a feeling that has lost its appeal in a world overly concerned about personal happiness. We have been told the lie that life is supposed to go from one moment of happiness to another. Even pastors spend inordinate amounts of time trying to “preach” people happy, instead of telling them uncomfortable truths that will help them in the long run. I wish that life was that simple, but it has complications that require the entire emotional span. We will be under developed inwardly if we don’t learn to embrace the good with the bad.

People let us down, jobs are lost, cars fail to function, etc. it is the human condition, don’t run from it. I don’t like unpleasantness anymore than the next person, but I am learning to remain hopeful even in uncomfortable spaces. There are far too many people running from negative emotions only to discover that those emotions can be patient. They will lay low for a while until they finally emerge more fierce and reckless than you could ever imagine. Often people end up paying thousands of dollars to get someone to help them process thoughts and emotions that they refused to face years before.

We must learn to embrace lament! I am not saying that we need to love sadness, but we must not be afraid of it. Sadness is a necessary feeling that helps us get through this world’s disappointments. If we let it, it might make the good and happy times even sweeter. Any good pastry chef knows that when making something sugary you have to add a little salt. Loss and sorrow are the needed component that adds the necessary contrast.

How does this work?

Well when living in a society like the United States its okay to celebrate the freedoms and prosperity we enjoy, while mourning its treatment of the indigenous people, and African Americans, Asian Americans, etc. This country has so much hypocrisy! It is still my country and I want it to be and am working to make it better. Lament is also appropriate when we look our county’s founders, many of whom wrote a wonderful document, but restricted the liberties of others with impunity!

These moments of grief are important when we look to the heroes who are exposed to be less than perfect. Civil rights leaders who have undoubtedly made our lives better, but struggled in their personal morality. The good doesn’t erase what bad they have done, but it helps put their lives in context.

When our favorite celebrities screw up, but the art they created has touched our lives…lament. When we discover the brokenness within our parents who love us, but are less than saints…lament. When our friends disappoint us, when spouses let us down, when kids don’t fulfill their potential, when your dreams die stillborn…LAMENT! It’s healthy.

We believe that time heals all wounds, it doesn’t. Processing our pain helps to heal and lamentation is a big part of that. Cancel culture does not allow for these feelings, because we’d rather just right everything off and move on. What you will discover is that life will eventually force you to face that which you would rather avoid. Get counseling or whatever you need to do to get it out, but we should not try to avoid this necessary emotion. 

This small box has always been on my nightstand beside my bed. When I received my first professional camera I took what I thought was a mundane picture. It turned out to be one of my favorites. It is a constant reminder that there really is beauty all around you if you just have eyes to see it. 

We can be all too quick to get life moving forward to its next logical step. The problem with this kind of functioning is that it can rob us of the ‘beautiful now’.  I find within me, that same temptation to ever be on the move. I have discovered that stillness, silence, and reflection can help me find these moments to treasure. These special moments create gratefulness for what we have, not a longing for what we want. When was the last time you sat in silence? When was the last time you simply reflected on all of the blessings you have instead of all of the things you wished you had? 

As I have said, my bed is right by this box and I have some things that I have had to adjust in my moments late at night. Instead of being angry that I am not sleeping well, I have learned to be grateful that I have a wonderful person lying next to me. Instead of being frustrated by the recurring dream I have, where I am unprepared for a college test, I am grateful for the fact that I have a degree. These are moments for either lament or thankfulness; the determining factor is our own perspective. Proper reflection and a heart that is seeking ‘Beautiful’ will lead you to these amazing conclusions.

What stillness, silence, and reflection do, is help us embrace the moments right in front of us. They allow us time and space to be introspective and to find these moments to treasure that will encourage our hearts if we allow it. God help us learn to stop long enough to breathe and be thankful for what we have, who we are, and what we get to do.

^“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

All Photographs are the property of Damian L. Boyd all rights reserved.

I am a photographer. Most people don’t know that about me.  I love seeing beauty, which most people can’t see. A little over a year ago I embarked on a journey to help others see the beauty that I saw. So I wrote, “In Search of Beautiful”, a book to help others find the glimpses that make my heart beat fast.

We can be so focused on our day-to-day struggles that we miss moments that would take our breath away. We yell at our children and forget that they are gifts from God. We grow so frustrated by our spouses that we loose sight of the fact that not long ago we were longing to have them annoy us. We complain about jobs that we once prayed for. We can too easily ignore that fact that even though we criticize our country, we live in a country that you can criticize. YES, I have been guilty of all of these lapses in appreciation!

We can all be so quick to look at what is not, that we miss what is. We can be so focused on what we want that we grow blind to the beauty trying to grab our attention every moment. Shame on us all, but it is a part of the human condition. I am the first to admit that I can be distracted by life’s little disappointments.

One day a good friend called me and asked, “Hey man, why don’t you come and take some pictures of my flowers. Initially, I was thinking, absolutely not! Then I thought, why not. I am so glad I did, because one of my best photos came from his simple request. Now it is the cover art for my book. Beauty was right around the corner, I just needed to get up and look for it. That is why I named the photo, Dewell Flower in honor of my friend who gave me a glimpse of beautiful in his front yard. May it serve as a reminder that beauty is never very far.  

“All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:3

It goes without saying that we are experiencing a contentious time in our country as it pertains to race, culture, class, etc. Sadly, the church as a whole has not been at the forefront of reconciling these differences. We have followed the culture’s lead and have parroted the stereotypes and perspectives that have been so divisive. Shame on us! We have been given the “ministry (service) of reconciliation” -2 Corinthians 5:18. Maybe we have forgotten that we serve a God who formed everyone in his image. That means its wrong to see fellow image bearer as something different then us, which quickly moves us to seeing them as less than ourselves. Its basic empathy we are lacking.

One of the best lessons of this is the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). The overall point is that we have to show kindness and compassion to our neighbor, who don’t look like, sound like, or think like us. I’ve been intentionally sharing this message in predominately white environments to hopefully change the false narratives we have sadly embraced as the people of God. We must do better, for after all “judgment begins first at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17). We the church have a problem and we can’t expect “the world” to fix an issue that we are too afraid to face. Below is the response from one young lady that has begun the long process of becoming a reconciler...

Dear Damian,

I am writing to you today because I have felt compelled to write to you ever since you spoke at _____________(Large predominately white church -LPWC) back in July. I am a little ashamed that I have procrastinated until today. My intent was to email you, but I figured Facebook was as good a venue as any.
My name is _______________. I live in _____________(Suburb), and have pretty much lived in white suburbia my whole life. I have never known poverty and hunger and desperation the way you preached about it that Sunday morning. I have been in church my whole life, saved when I was six.
I just wanted you to know that in all of the sermons I’ve heard my whole life, no one ever preached on the Good Samartian the way you did. It impacted my life and changed my heart forever. Since then, the Holy Spirit has been chipping away at the judgmental privilege that has been rooted deep inside my heart.
I have always been afraid of talking to people who look different than me, who do things different than I would. “I would never stand on the side of the road and beg for money.” “I would never let drugs and alcohol ruin my life so bad that I’d be homeless.” My condescending sinful nature allowed me to look past their humanness and see only their mistakes. But, you changed that. You challenged me to look in their eyes and see the same Jesus that looked into mine.
The phrase you kept repeating-that if it wasn’t for the grace of God, that could be me-has been stuck in my head. It has changed the way I deal with co-workers. It has changed the way I view my students at my school. It has changed the way I parent, and the way that I respond to my husband. And I just wanted to say thank you.
I also wanted to share with you a story that happened the very next weekend after you spoke this past summer. I had taken my three month old baby to Alabama to meet some family, and on the ride home, I stopped for supper in (what I didn’t know at the time) was a shady area of town. I don’t like to travel alone and I was already a little on edge because I was in an unfamiliar city with a newborn.
I pulled into Chick-fil-A (thinking that that’s where the good Christian white people would be) and walked around the car to get my baby out of his seat. When I turned around to close the car door and go inside, there was a man standing a little to close for comfort. I had my purse, keys, cell phone, diaper bag, and baby all in my arms. My immediate response was to be afraid. But, your sermon came flooding into my mind. So, I prayed for peace and I simply said, “Hello.” He quickly began a much practiced spiel of “Did I have any money, could I please spare $5, he was so hungry, he’s desperate” etc, etc. My typical response of, “I’m so sorry I don’t carry cash” was stuck in my throat because I knew full well my husband gave me emergency cash for my trip. I didn’t know what to do. I had never given money to a stranger before. I was terrified to put my baby down on the ground and get out my wallet. A million scenarios flashed through my mind of me being caught unaware, looking down, digging through my purse, being mugged, or my baby kidnapped (new mom hormones are vicious). But, somewhere inside, I had that peace that passes understanding, and I did just that. I set my baby’s car seat down. I put the diaper bag back in my car. I began to dig through my purse and found my wallet. I didn’t know what was appropriate to give him, but all I had were $20s. So, I handed him one. He said, “No, this is too much! Are you sure?” To which I replied, “Yes, I’m sure.” And he started to walk away. I started to sort through all my emotions and tried to calm my pounding heart. Right when I had gathered up all of my things again, he came back asking to use my cell phone. I kindly said no, because to be honest, I was terrified he’d run away with it and I’d be stuck in a different state traveling with a baby without my phone.
I really hope that you can understand what a spiritual victory this was for me. I know that it seems trivial, and typing it out right now, I am almost ashamed at being so proud of myself for stepping outside of my comfort zone by giving a stranger a crisp $20. (especially in light of who I’m writing to and all that you do for others) Looking back, I see now that there are so many other things I could have said or done that would have shown him the love of Jesus. I didn’t pray for him, I didn’t invite him to sit with me. I didn’t talk to him, I didn’t buy him supper. He came inside and used my money to buy supper. He asked to use the CFA phone, and they let him. He sat alone while I sat alone. However, it was a step in the right direction. I feel a little more like the Samaritan and a little less like the priest.
I want to thank you for coming to LPWC that day to bring the Word in such a way that changed my life. Thank you for being bold to preach the gospel. Thank you for calling out my white judgmental privilege. Thank you for challenging me to be more like Jesus. Thank you for smacking me in the face with the truth that I am not so unlike that man I encountered. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to grow my Spirit-filled life. Thank you for inspiring me to see those who are different from me as someone to be seen and not overlooked.
Now, I have an envelope in my glove compartment with a couple of $20s. It stays there. It’s been prayed over, dedicated to accomplish God’s work. I’ve asked that the Lord would give me confidence to give as the Spirit leads when the occasion arises. Because I’ve learned that if it weren’t for the grace of God on my life, the people who come asking for it could be me. I know I have a long way to go, but I just wanted you to know that you had a part in changing my story for the better.
Many thanks,

I am honored that God would use me in such a way. She of course has a way to go and will be challenged in more ways than she can imagine, but she took a step! I would of course encourage her to be wise in her generosity. What would this world be if more people made this kind of shift? The problem is, too often pastors are either in agreement with these ungodly perspectives, are quiet about social issues of race and culture, or are too afraid to offend people to deal with this gospel centric problem. I have simply decided to continue to be a voice for what is right. 

The term secular used to be thrown around quite frequently in Christian circles. It was usually intended to show a difference between Christian and non-Christian music (mostly), but also art, thought, etc. Simply stated sacred is for God, and secular is everything else. The intent of these terms was to encourage the believer to remain pure (holy) in their thinking and overall internal spiritual climate. The problem is that these terms caused an unhealthy differentiation, in that people to saw their church/spiritual life and all there others aspects of life separately. This is a massive problem!

Biblically, the concept of sacred and secular does exist, but not the way we in the 20th and 21^st Century, process and communicate it. Sacred was all about the Holy, that which was for God’s use. The greater thought was that all things sacred would change everything else. God’s Holy presence would alter and adjust our lives where His sacredness would always be in our minds, hearts, and ultimately seen in our actions. Conversely, it was the goal that our secular thoughts, perspectives, and actions would be drawn to His sacredness, and we’d become more sacred. To say it another way, the sacred was always supposed to challenge and change the secular.

The problem is that people have kept the holy/sacred in its own segregated place, and when they enter work, school, restaurants, etc., they somehow feel like their relationship with God doesn’t enter. They can act spiritual in church, small groups, bible studies, and prayer meetings, but God’s sacredness mysteriously disappears by the time they enter into the rest of life. The result…hypocrisy! This was not and has never been the goal of God for His people.

The Bible says, “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill…” Matt 5:14-15 MSG

 “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 MSG

 It’s clear that our relationship with God is supposed to be taken to the world. It is echoed throughout the Bible. The 1 Peter 2:9-10 passage takes it one step further. By calling us sacred, we are to go into the secular to make a difference. The sacred and the secular were always meant to come together…but the how is just as important!

The reverse (secular impacting sacred) is not endorsed by sound Biblical teaching. It was never the goal of God that the secular would come in and define and defile the sacred. Since the moment God’s presence began to dwell amongst mankind, we were warned to remain untainted by sin and all of its secular-ness. We are warned to not allow this world’s culture and perspectives to change who we are and how we live.

 “Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father.” 1 John 2:15 MSG

I believe a dividing line is being drawn. It is between those who use their sacred to impact the secular and those who abandon what is sacred because of their love for the secular. When we take our sacred and holy into the secular and sinful world, we make it better. When we let the secular and sinful taint our sacred and holy, we get worse. This is not a popular truth, but it is true nonetheless. We can never forget that there is a God who is infinitely Holy/Pure/Sacred who is welcoming us into his cleansing presence and he expects us to carry that same presence into the secular world.