The Book of Lamentations in the Bible recounts the trauma and mourning of the siege, the capture, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the subsequent deporting of the survivors into exile in 586 B.C.

Because of that context, we recognize that the Book of Lamentations is trauma literature.

We as communities worldwide have gone through and are continuing to go through the COVID 19 pandemic, and the disruption to normal life at the personal, community and worldwide levels has resulted in massive trauma.

The Book of Lamentations can help us to learn how to survive with resilience and hope, and how to process trauma and grief in moving toward healing and renewal, not only for the coronavirus pandemic but for all other kinds of trauma that we might experience.

Professor Kelvin Friebel earned a B.A. in Biblical Literature from Seattle Pacific University and an M.A. & Ph.D. in Hebrew & Semitic Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His dissertation focused on Jeremiah & Ezekiel's Sign-Actions (which is published by Sheffield Press). 

Since 1990, Dr. Friebel has taught Old Testament Studies at Canadian Theological Seminary (Regina, SK), Houghton College (Houghton, NY), and is currently a visiting professor at Briercrest College (Caronport, SK). 

Dr. Friebel has also done pastoral work both in the States and Canada, primarily with the Wesleyan Church and the Christian & Missionary Alliance. He has taught short-term classes overseas in the Philippines, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Jamaica, and Estonia.