The Han of a Gaza Mother
DECEMBER 11, 2024
Oh Lord, Lord of Hagar, beheld the wandering soul
Oh Lord of Hannah, filled the barren womb
Oh Lord of Mary, saved her child
The Lord of all mothers,
Hear my cry, the Han in my heart
You delivered them, answered them,
Why not me?
Your people say You are almighty
Where does it shine so brightly?
Only to Your chosen ones.
Your Chosen acclaims, You know everything
Do You know our pain?
In the depth of sorrow our hearts still rain
When you are everywhere in bits and bytes
Are You with us in our fates?
Or left us to face the Hades?
Oh Lord, hear my voice
Out of the depths, I cry to You,
With trembling lips, I speak to You
With tears of blood, I pray to You
Kneeling before You
charring my face, in the scorching sun
my child, my child, the only one,
Killed by Your chosen ones
Why have You forsaken me?
Holy is Your land, You reside
where peace never resides on this side
The laughter of Your chosen ones, far too wide
And cries of innocents like a morning tide
the womb of mothers, though barren, still bleeds inside
Are You there? still blind to see
to save my child, Hear my plea
Like “Rachel weeping for her children”
Our womb cries for our children
The sweet smiling lips, torn by the bullet sway
the hands of my child a feet away
holding a piece of bread,
socked in the jam of blood
Beautiful little eyes,
One pierced where the bullet lies
Oh Lord, is this what pleases You
The scent of blood, like perfume, too?
Where is Isaiah, and Where’s Jeremiah,
Ezekiel, Amos, and Micah
Have they fled like Jonah?
Never they speak, never are they seen
On the Holy Land, Your prophets once tread
Left in the Bible only to read
Where is Your Moses with staff in his hand?
Oh, You will send to Your kith and kins of Your land
Where is Your Son, the promised one?
send Him again, before we are gone
Like Your angels, their rockets fly
day and night shelling from the sky
On us, on our homes, on our loved ones
splattering the flesh, spilling the blood yet to dry
Bombing our lives, sinking us with an endless cry
The wicked still laugh exalting Your name
Over their triumphs for the same
Thinking You are their hem
To deliver only them
How long, Lord, how long?”
how long will they do?
Defend us, Oh Lord, in this time of despair
We too are Your Children, caught in the snare
We know You are slow to anger
Filled with mercy and grace
Extend Your hand, Lord, and lift us high
Wipe every tear, hear our desperate cry
Guide us through shadows, with light from above
Restore our hearts with Your endless love
Hold us close in Your tender care,
Do not leave us in despair
Only with You, Oh Lord, we are repaired
Like the tall Jack Pine of the grove
our lives are burnt to prove
Yet blossoms bloom
Like Sea Gull Chicks
We stay still strong
Like an eagle renew our strength
Crown us with Your love and grace
And our hope is still not gone,
Yes, we have a just God to plead
We are also Your offsprings
We have hope in God, where love still springs
As a psalmist, we all cry
Yet hope clings faint in the dry
In search of the peace Your Son has left
Grace upon grace, He promised
Healing upon healing, He pledged
still, we believe, despite an endless strife,
That peace will come, returning life.
Oh God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
You stood with them in the fiery glow
In our sufferings, You endured
In our struggles, You wrestled
In our cries, You wept
As one among us
Yet strengthened us to bear the pain
With us in pain, never leaving us aside
Praise Your Name, for You saved us
For the dawn of hope, for a brighter day.
“God's own country,” though bruised and torn
Yet in His time, the oppressor’s forlorn
Oh, hear the cries, O people of might,
Restore Gaza, its long-lost light.
For the cries of the mothers have reached God’s sight
And justice will come, though it seems far from light
Written as a ministry resource project for the course, "God, Suffering, and Evil."
Published here with the permission of Rev. Dr. Anna Case Winters.
Author:
Philip Richard Sundaram
McCormick Theological Seminary
Co-Editor, The Herald