Sunday, November 09, 2008
Words Fall to the Floor.....
This song was played this morning after a wonderful interview between Michael Enright and Joan Baez on CBC Sunday morning. Poignant and timely, we seem to have come around in a circle where we are faced with similar struggles. The learned "enemy" may have a different face and come from a part of the world than the "enemies" we are conditioned to point our grubby little fingers at. I don't think it really matters who it is..... turns out God doesn't pick sides. Good thing too. Sadly, i wonder if we'll ever learn from Him?
The lyrics:
"With God On Our Side"
Oh my name it is nothin'
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I's taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And the land that I live in
Has God on its side.
Oh the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh the country was young
With God on its side.
The Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I's made to memorize
With guns on their hands
And God on their side.
The First World War, boys
It came and it went
The reason for fighting
I never did get
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don't count the dead
When God's on your side.
When the Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And then we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now too
Have God on their side.
I've learned to hate Russians
All through my whole life
If another war comes
It's them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side.
But now we got weapons
Of the chemical dust
If fire them we're forced to
Then fire them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God's on your side.
In a many dark hour
I've been thinkin' about this
That Jesus Christ
Was betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you
You'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.
So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God's on our side
He'll stop the next war.
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5 comments:
I don't have a clue about politics and stuff - but from what the Bible says God is on the side of the under-dog, the outsider, the poor, the homeless, the broken, the hungry.... definitely not on the side of any country! Especially a rich, self centred, arrogant and affluent one......but I guess he's on the side of the poor and vulnerable within that country!
Jules
Hey Jules....I honestly believe He's not a side taker. We are all God's children whether we choose to use our lives for good or evil. He is there for all of us no matter what shit we disturb or wounds we are licking. It's the only way I can believe in God....to know we are active "members" of the Body of Christ. And if we choose to be judgemental, rotten and mean to others, well....?
I like this song because it is tongue in cheeky.....and because it asks the questions.....makes me think about the fact that God is on the side of my perceived "enemy" just as much as He is in my court as well.
think from the Bible it can be shown that God defends the poor and needy, that he lifts up the broken and listens and acts on the side of the vulnerable, ie the poor widow and her unfair judge - he secured mercy for her, Hannah who was ridiculed and bullied becasue she couldn't bear a child, he gave her one, David and Goliath! so many other instances I could record. In Matthew 25 Jesus says how we treat the poor and least of those around us will decide whether we get into heaven or not!
I do agree God loves everyone equally, maybe it would be better said he has a special place in his heart for the poor and vulnerable - see: http://fortheleastofthese.wordpress.com/2008/11/08/who-are-the-little-ones/
blessings
Jules
Jules....Thank you for the reference and example. i guess it comes down to semantics. In my mind, poor and needy covers the whole gamut of us imperfect souls....be it financial, spiritual, emotional, psychological, physical, existential. Howard Hughes comes to mind actually....poor suffering soul he was despite his millions.
Vulnerability, emotions and passions are universal....
Of course God doesn't pick or judge countries, I see that, nor can we simply blanket a whole country based on the choices their leaders make. I believe this is the essence of the song, done with irony.
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