Recently I was listening to Leonard Cohen’s popular song, Hallelujah, which is often played around the holidays. As I listened, I was struck by the phrase “broken hallelujah.” It made me think about how in weakness and suffering our praises to the Lord are often imperfect and broken.
In Scripture, “hallelujah” means “praise God,” and there are countless passages that urge us to praise him. In fact, many are imperatives or commands to do so. However, this can send us in the wrong direction. Sometimes we place expectations on ourselves and one another that these praises—these hallelujahs—need to be happy, smiling, and perky. But this is a false expectation. Rather, some of our most precious, heart-felt praise may be born out of pain, hardship, and lament. It will not look, sound, or even be expressed in an upbeat way. Instead, it will be expressed as a broken hallelujah.
I believe good unfolds in these praises. They give us permission to be hurting, struggling, even broken, but still lifting our hands to the Lord in surrender and trust. In hardship, praise can feel limp and lifeless but it can still be intact. It is our imperfect gift to the One who is worthy
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