How long must we wait, oh Lord?

For mercy
For justice
For action

How long did Oscar wait?
Valeria atop his back
Holding tight to her daddy.

Waiting
Pleading
Desperate.

How long did it take, oh Lord
For hope to fail them?
To take to the river
Their last attempt
Their final breaths

Taken not by the violence they escaped
But by hope, rejected.

Out of the depths, they cried to you, oh Lord
As we cry out to you now
Save us, Lord Jesus!

My God, my god, why did you forsake them?
Abba Father, where were you?
Abba Father, where are you?

How long will it take, oh Lord
For your people to speak
For your church to move
For your kingdom to come?

How long, oh Lord
Until we let the little children come?
Until our actions,
Match your teachings?

Until we do for the least of these
What we would do for you?

We cry out to you, Lord
Let your kingdom come
On earth, as it is in heaven.

Show us the path of righteousness.
A path that does not end
With a wall,
Or with a river.

But with refuge, and shelter,
Under your feathered wings
Where Oscar and Valeria lie,
Clinging to your promise of new life

Safe,
Together,
Home.

— Francesca Albano

Francesca Albano currently serves as Director of Branded Content at World Relief. With a background in Cultural Anthropology and a graduate degree in Strategic Marketing Communications, she connects her interests in societal studies and global cultures with her training in brand strategy and storytelling. Francesca is especially passionate about grassroots community development and the treatment and advancement of women and girls around the world.