A Psalm

How long oh Lord will you let the injustice of your people reign? 

How many tears have you shed for those who ignore your call to bring mercy and justice? To share Your grace?

We have closed our eyes 

to the prostitutes who have to sell their bodies to survive because everyone else has abandoned them.
to the homeless on the streets, in need of more than a handout to restore dignity.
to the depleting resources in Earth, thinking if we ignore the ugly state of Creation we have wrought, that it will fix itself.
to the drug deal going down across from a children's orphanage.
to the young people dropping out of school or graduating without knowledge of the real world.
to the elderly abandoned to die alone.
to all of the people fleeing from the situations we created,

and to those displaced from the acts of nature beyond our control, but we still refuse to help.

to the bruises of the beaten wife, while crying out against Eve E.

We have closed our ears

to the cry of hungry children around the world.
to the sounds of gunshots, as people commit genocide.
to the muffled screams of torture victims.
to the story of the rape victim.
to the confession of the rapist.
to the cry of abandoned babies, as we widen opportunities for parents to abandon their children and narrow the pool of people who are "allowed" to love them.
to the sounds of blades thrashing skin and the silent cries of depression.

to the sounds of different cultures, tribes, and tongues, thinking that we are the "best"

We have not opened our mouths

to protest children being kidnapped to become solders.
to speak words of hope to young girls being made into sex slaves.
to speak truth against young girls being raped as a cure for AIDS.
to cry in righteous anger against war.
to rebuke the racist, bigoted, and intolerant.
to the cries of hate coming from the mouths of those who should be preaching love.

to speak against globalization and the high price on others for our cheap goods.

to cry against the indentured slavery of companies like Nike. 

to bring alternative buying options to others. 

The waters of oppression surge yet the church argues about carpet colors. Limit their ideas of justice to beating up those who are homosexual in their sexuality. Have cursed at the girls who see no other way then to get an abortion. We try to legislate morality, yet won't let oppression, tragedy, and the ache of distress come any where near our doors. 

But hear the cries of even the few who refuse to remain silent, blind, and deaf. Hear our cry, Oh Lord. 

How Long?

'When we accept the reality of the brutality of the cross then we have seen the dark places in the world. Therefore, we should not be afraid to go to those dark places and talk about uncomfortable things, because Christ has paved the way to bring light and healing. We can not hide from the darkness behind fragile piety. We must go. See, hear, touch, smell, those things that make us uncomfortable, while speaking words of truth.' – Chris Bossel (paraphrase)