Help Me To Believe Otherwise
Written last May 2020
“God, are you still here?”
Are you here when the world is in shambles?
Are you here when people are fighting and hurting?
Are you here when unjust deaths take place in this world of oppression?
Are you here when laws of injustice silence the innocent?
Are you here when rumors of war are spreading, whispers hanging in the air?
Are you here when diseases, novel and familiar, are brought to life?
God, do you see us?
Do you see the planet die at the grips of its carers?
Do you see the blood stained on our hands?
Do you see our eyes widen as the bullet meets our skin?
Do you see us roaming on the streets, our minds searching for answers on how to feed our families?
Do you see our families mourning at the demise of our loved ones?
God, do you hear us?
Do you hear the world cry out as the fires and the rains torment her?
Do you hear the agony of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor as they scream for help?
Do you hear the shouts of Fabel Pineda and Kian Delos Santos as they beg for their life?
Do you hear the anger of the people against the laws that threaten to silence our freedom?
Do you hear the fear of us as the rumors of war wages?
Do you hear the pleas of the fearful as we pray for everyone in danger?
God, help me believe you are still here.
You are here, as the world is running the way You designed it.
You are here, mourning for the fights taking place in this world.
You are here, grieving for the deaths of the just and the innocent.
You are here, vengeful for the lawmakers who abuse their power.
You are here, in control, when everything defies it otherwise.
You are here, taking each life in the palm of your hand.
God, help me believe you still see us.
You see the planets and orders its orbits, holding the universe with grace.
You see the our hearts, fighting for what we believe is right.
You see the lives and moments each individual has cherished, and you hold us all dearly.
You see the evil receive their justice, in this world, or the next.
You see our fear at the thought of guns and ships, and you cover and embrace us in your arms.
You see the anxious thoughts of each person and comfort us with words only You can say.
God, help me believe you still hear us.
You hear the world continue to revolve as the stars stay in their place.
You hear the our cries as our convictions us them to our actions.
You hear our speeches as we commemorate each loved one we lost.
You hear our cries, and you stand to show that justice will prevail.
You hear the our anxious thoughts and offer us comfort and peace.
God, despite this world showing me you are not here,
Help me to believe otherwise.
Remind me: You are still all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present.
God, despite the world spiraling out of control,
Help me to believe otherwise.
Remind me: You see every breath only comes because you allow it to,
And the stars only shine, because you let them,
And the planets only orbit because you permitted it.
God, despite the injustices convincing me you abandoned us,
Help me to believe otherwise.
Remind me: You are the God of justice.
You will avenge every wrongful act committed,
You hear each word, each promise, each curse that comes out of our mouths,
And you will hold each man accountable to their deeds.
God, despite the world, telling me You have abandoned us,
Help me to believe otherwise.
Remind me: You love each person You created in Your image.
You have crafted us a path.
You made us in such an intricate manner while being woven by Your hands in our mother’s womb.
God, despite the world telling me to stop believing in You,
Help me to believe otherwise.
Remind me: When things are beyond our reach,
You still hold everything in your hands.
You see what is happening, and you are in control of what will happen.
God, despite the horrors of what is happening in this world,
Help me to put my trust in You otherwise.
Remind me: Of what you have done to Israel,
What Christ has done for us,
What you have done for me,
And what You will do in this world.
God, despite everything,
Help me to believe otherwise.
