The Cry of the Poor

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

Blessed be the Lord.

This song based on Psalm 34 has been running through my head since the day after I arrived in Mozambique. I’ve been thinking a lot about the poor. That second day we drove through town I felt so privileged to be driving a car amid the poverty. And the body language of those walking the streets and milling through the market saddened me. So many looked sad, listless, and even purposeless. I wondered if they really were or if my Western eyes were misinterpreting something. I knew that the lifestyle of Mozambicans was very unlike the fast-paced, career-driven lifestyle of Americans in the States. So how much of my first impression was accurate? How much was truly a picture of a people with little hope?

The CIA Factbook estimates that unemployment in Mozambique is around 21%. I see many growing what they can in their gardens to live on, some selling what they can in the market and on the streets. Many subsist on very little. These are a people who endured a civil war that lasted 15 years. And the prevalence of AIDS/HIV is estimated at 12.5%. I must remember . . .

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

Blessed be the Lord.

So how accurate is my first impression? In the end, it doesn’t really matter. Many do seem sad and purposeless. But what matters is Christ. Caring for the sick, the orphan, and the widow—this is what matters. 

David says in Psalm 34:6, “This poor man cried, and the Lord hear him.” I've read that the word “poor” in this verse could be translated as “miserable.” This isn't necessarily a poverty of wealth but a poverty of spirit. I see a lack of choices here in Mozambique and a lack of opportunity. Many are crushed in spirit. The hopelessness is hard to miss. Yet I am blessed to see how many Christians are working here to bring light and love and basic needs. I see nurses working long, hard days, treating babies and mothers who are infected with HIV. I see a young woman who opened a two-room schoolhouse in the “bush” two years ago and now has 45 preschoolers coming every day for education and food. I see a man who has built a carpentry and metalwork training school to give men useful trades to be employed. Yes . . .

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

Blessed be the Lord.

I will bless the Lord at all times

with praise ever in my mouth.

Let my soul glory in the Lord

who hears the cry of the poor.

Let the lowly hear and be glad;

the Lord listens to their pleas;

And to hearts broken God is near;

who hears the cry of the poor.

Every spirit crushed God will save;

will be ransom for their lives;

will be safe shelter for their fears,

and will hear the cry of the poor.

We proclaim your greatness, O God,

Your praise ever in our mouth;

Every face brightened in your light,

For you hear the cry of the poor.

“The Cry of the Poor” by John Foley © 1978 New Dawn Music. Based on Psalm 34.