Permission to Grieve

Faith for the Wounded

When Jesus Weeps: A Theology of Holy Lament is a tender, honest journey into the sacred work of sorrow. Through Scripture, story, and pastoral reflection, Geoffrey Schmitt (Willingheart) guides readers into the kind of lament that does not weaken faith but deepens it.

From David’s midnight psalms to Jeremiah’s tears, from unanswered prayers to grief that comes in waves, this book reveals a God who meets us not after our tears but within them. Drawing from decades of ministry—funeral homes, hospital rooms, Kairos prison weekends, and personal seasons of loss—Schmitt shows that lament is not the opposite of faith. It is one of faith’s truest expressions.

This book invites readers to encounter the Christ who weeps at Lazarus’ tomb, walks with the grieving, and plants seeds of hope in the very soil of sorrow. It is a gentle companion for anyone carrying pain, offering compassion, honesty, and the quiet assurance that God is near to the brokenhearted.