Mmoloki Warona, or Our Redeemer
Something different today – I’m writing about a worship song I used to play in South Africa called Mmoloki Warona, or Our Redeemer.
It’s quite short, simple and straightforward.
Let the blind eyes open
The weak say “I am strong”
For the word of the Lord says so
I stand tall in the trials and mountains of this life
For the Lord is my strength and my shield
Ke tla opa ka di a tla tsaka
Ke tla dula motseng waMorena
Hallelujah Morena Hallelujah Waphela
Jeso ke mmoloki warona
I will lift my hands in Your presence
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Hallelujah You are Lord Hallelujah I am Yours
Jesus You are my strength and my shield
We sung this in township churches in South Africa and the mixture of English and Tswana always surprised people and had a very unifying impact.
It’s message is simple: we can stand on the promises of God. Why? Because the Bible says so. When we face challenges we’re not called to fail, we’re not called to even just scrape through. We’re already victorious in Christ and in our darkest moments we can stand tall, because we have God.
The chorus is then, first in Tswana and then in English, our offering. Our commitment. ‘I am yours, You are my strength and my shield’. Of course this is all easy to say, but sometimes less easy to do. Nevertheless scripture, and songs like this, remind us not only that we can prevail, but that we’re already victorious.
Have a listen to the song here!
Alec