Headlines from recent news: US/Russian War Games Rekindle; Rebel Fighting In Yemen; Iran Nuclear Deal – No Guarantee; 148 People Gunned Down in Kenya College; Gang Violence Escalates in El Salvador; 21-year old Convicted of the Boston Bombings; Indiana Defends Right to Discriminate Based on Religion; Unarmed Black Man Shot in the Back by White Police Officer; Nationwide Strike to Raise the Minimum Wage to $15; Chestnut Ridge Mother gets 20 Years-Life for Salt-Poisoning Her 5-Year Old Son for Social Media Fame; Bergen County 100-year old Man Axes 89-year old Wife then Commits Suicide; Tornado’s Rip the Midwest; Giant Methane Mass Over the Southwest; Hail/Sleet/Freezing Rain Continue into April in the Northeast…
Someone told me last week that the news was too much for people to take in anymore, and that this blog is too difficult for people to read because the subject of Justice and Mercy in alignment with our Faith is just too painful to contemplate. And, so, this 1990 song by George Michael (recently covered by Carrie Underwood) has been playing in my mind all week.
"Praying For Time" by George Michael
These are the days of the open hand
They will not be the last
Look around now
These are the days of the beggars and the choosers
This is the year of the hungry man
Whose place is in the past
Hand in hand with ignorance
And legitimate excuses
The rich declare themselves poor
And most of us are not sure
If we have too much
But we'll take our chances
Because God's stopped keeping score
I guess somewhere along the way
He must have let us all out to play
Turned his back
and all God's children crept out the back door
And it's hard to love, there's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope
When there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above say it's much too late
Well maybe we should all be praying for time
These are the days of the empty hand
Oh you hold on to what you can
And charity is a coat you wear twice a year
This is the year of the guilty man
Your television takes a stand
And you find that what was over there is over here
So you scream from behind your door
Say "what's mine is mine and not yours
I may have too much but i'll take my chances
Because God's stopped keeping score"
And you cling to the things they sold you
Did you cover your eyes when they told you
That He can't come back
Because He has no children to come back for
It's hard to love there's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope when there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above say it's much too late
So maybe we should all be praying for time
https://youtu.be/h8Ua6L-DwVQ
Respond to this blog, or contact me directly, with your thoughts, ideas, and concerns about social justice in the Pascack Valley region.
In Christ's Peace, Lisa
click here to download a PDF copy of this blog post
