“Lord Answer Me When I Cry For Help!”

“Lord Answer Me When I Cry For Help!”
Our present predicament seems to be a confirmation that underlying any political, economic or social crises is a spiritual crisis. The economy is collapsing, social fabric is declining because of the politics of muscle flexing that has dehumanised and destroyed the social cohesion of communities.
Everybody is right in his/her own eyes and all others are wrong. As soon as a person takes leave from a gathering s/he becomes the next topic of discussion.
We grab what is for displaced persons, and only the particles trickle down to them. The oppressed have cried and lost their voices in the process, yet nobody seems to hear them.
Then see how full are the worship places on Sundays and other holy days! See how pious and sanctimonious we approach the throne of grace in the holy places! See how we religiously follow prescribed fasts and rosary-like prayers! But everywhere there are killings – even inside the churches! There is kidnappings, looting and wanton destruction. Uncertainties everywhere. Everyday people are running away from their residences to go seek safety wherever they consider safe havens.
Everyday we are praying and fasting. We call on the Lord and cry for help, but he seems to have turned deaf ears to our cries and petitions.
However, the compassionate and loving God cannot abandon us. He answers us on his own terms. If we want him to hear our cry for help and say, “Here am I,” we must “do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing of finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed…”
We can only enjoy the blessings of God when we have given others the opprtunity to thirst how good the Lord is.
It is not possible to fight exploitation and oppression if we continue to feed our greed and self-interest!,
The Lord’s prayer is an inclusive prayer that ought to teach us to see the other person as the image of God. When we collectively say “Our Father who is heaven…” everybody should feel his fatherly impact as we treat each other as siblings. Siblings do not mistreat each other, neither do they oppress nor exploit each other. Siblings ought to share in common whatever comes from the father according to each person’s needs.
My friend, be an advocate and activist of social justice and “the Lord will guide you always and he will satisfy your needs…” and our people will rebuild the destroyed villages and repair the Broken Walls of God’s places of worship that has been shattered with bullets.(Is.58:9b-12).
Prayer: Lord hear our cry and answer us at our points of great need according to your purpose. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!
Babila Fochang.