Acoustics—Day 4: The Cries of the Oppressed

Parents often become desensitized to the cries of their children. They are concerned but eventually know that things will work themselves out. So action is delayed, put off onto someone else, or frustration sets in. Yes cries can be tuned out somewhat easily. It is no different with the cries of the oppressed, the weak, the starving, and poor.

All is not well with the world as we would like to think on our best days. People are hungry, epidemic diseases are threatening entire generations in Africa, powerful people use cruel measures to meet their agendas and on and on we go. The troubles are not only a world away, but near to us. People are nowhere cared for as they should be.

Their cries have reached God and as the God of the widow and the orphan he is pained.
But it’s not the troubles that are so shocking. It’s the unconcern shown by those of us not affected. The cries of hurting people are rising to our ears, yet we are not hearing them. And we live on in oblivion. But these cries are God’s cries. It is God who is naked and hungry and diseased and alone. And only in our response of compassion and love can we offer God due reverence. The cries of injustice cannot be silenced save by Christians acting in God’s name to relieve their hurt and reform their oppressors.

It is our responsibility to care for our brothers and sisters. These cries will not work themselves out. It requires action. No amount of ignoring, putting it off onto someone else, or throwing up our hands in despair and frustration will help. And the impetus of our actions is not just to solve a problem, but to respond to the life of Jesus. As we seek to become more like Christ, to live like Christ, and to reflect Christ’s love for the world, only then can we begin to make a change.

“What ever you did for the least of these, you did for me.” –Jesus