This song by USA for Africa, written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, was a groundbreaker. I watched the faces of the different artist from different genres float across the screen. Each artist sang in their own distinctive style, and you could hear the conviction in their voice. The best part is they came together, and it wasn’t for an awards show, a party, a premier, or some other red-carpet event. They came together to save lives. Yes!
The lyrics remind me (in my faith tradition) of the reason that we were created. I usually quote a verse or two when I write, but these lyrics speak to our responsibility as sojourners on this giant orb called Earth. We are temporary residents; we have the ability to come together to make a better place for all.
There comes a time / When we heed a certain call / When the world must stand together as one / There are people dying / Oh, and it’s time to lend a helping hand to life / The greatest gift of all.
We can’t go on / pretending day-by-day / That someone, somewhere soon make a change / We’re all a part of God’s great big family / And the truth, you know, love is all we need.
/ We are the world / We are the children / We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving / There’s a choice we’re making / we’re saving our own lives / It’s true we’ll make a better day, just you and me.
My favorite lyrics are, “There’s a choice we’re making; we’re saving our own lives.” If we don’t do it, who will? We are that somebody that we have been waiting for. These words still ring true and can be applied to many different situations today. Why do we have to wait for people to be in dire need to do something? We have enough resources, and some people have enough money, that people shouldn’t suffer. Call me an optimist, but I believe in the inherent good in people. Hope comes alive when we value the beauty of life and each other and embrace our diversity.
Our church is exploring what it means to embrace and engage our members as we build a bridge to our community. If you believe in being proactive for positive change, come build with us. Currently, we have one service at 9:45am; include your world on Sunday mornings. You can also find us on our webpage www.eumcbeltsville.com or Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/EUMCBeltsville. Until next time, I’ll leave you with this:
Wouldn’t it be great to hear only good news? One story, one situation, one need at a time met without obligation Renewed hope and our greatest gift, love, can make it possible if we believe Let’s choose to save lives and do what is best for humankind, together. Don’t miss an opportunity to build a bridge of blessing between people