When wilt thou save the people?
Oh God of mercy when?
The people, Lord, the people
Not thrones and crowns,
But men
Flowers of thy heart
O God are they
Let them not pass like weeds away
Their heritage, a sunless day
God save the people
God save the people, not thrones ... not governments, not dark powers, not principalities, but the precious children of God's heart.
The words of Godspell have been ringing in my heart over these past couple of weeks as I watched the news coming out of Egypt. In so many ways, it's a miracle that the people have finally found the courage to speak out and stand up for their freedom.
Throughout our history on Earth, people have risen up against oppression, against the cruelty of dictators and malevolent monarchs, against exploitive economic conditions and systems. Since the beginning of recorded history, the story of the human race on Earth has always been about the liberation of the human being from any dark power over them, against any selfish force or system that would silence them, suppress their creativity, oppress their own self determination, autonomy and self expression. It has been the root of all revolutions, uprisings. It is at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, the Irish-British conflicts, the power struggles in Haiti for several hundreds of years.
Today, that ancient song is now being sung in Egypt. I truly believe that as each nation stands up for freedom and the dignity of each and every human being within its borders, the human race becomes more whole.
If collectively we are one being, one single human orchestra playing - all together - a magnificent symphony in harmony, then we all need to play our own parts, sing our own parts, listen to our own hearts and play out of those self possessed hearts, until the whole human race resounds with the angelic chorus.
For too long petty dictators have usurped their power, over taxed the people, manipulated and exploited the people selfishly. The story in Egypt is archetypal, symbolic of the human struggle for freedom, and its president Mubarak is no different. Although a humble man in the beginning of his presidency, according to veteran newsman Dan Rather, Mubarak managed to stay in power for close to 30 years while imprisoning and even torturing those who would oppose him. Cashing in, for his own personal wealth, the billions of dollars sent to Egypt from the United States each year, he amassed more than a billion dollars which he squirreled away in a Swiss bank account while his overtaxed and overburdened people staggered under a 20 % unemployment rate.
Throughout our history on Earth, people have risen up against oppression, against the cruelty of dictators and malevolent monarchs, against exploitive economic conditions and systems. Since the beginning of recorded history, the story of the human race on Earth has always been about the liberation of the human being from any dark power over them, against any selfish force or system that would silence them, suppress their creativity, oppress their own self determination, autonomy and self expression. It has been the root of all revolutions, uprisings. It is at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, the Irish-British conflicts, the power struggles in Haiti for several hundreds of years.
Today, that ancient song is now being sung in Egypt. I truly believe that as each nation stands up for freedom and the dignity of each and every human being within its borders, the human race becomes more whole.
If collectively we are one being, one single human orchestra playing - all together - a magnificent symphony in harmony, then we all need to play our own parts, sing our own parts, listen to our own hearts and play out of those self possessed hearts, until the whole human race resounds with the angelic chorus.
For too long petty dictators have usurped their power, over taxed the people, manipulated and exploited the people selfishly. The story in Egypt is archetypal, symbolic of the human struggle for freedom, and its president Mubarak is no different. Although a humble man in the beginning of his presidency, according to veteran newsman Dan Rather, Mubarak managed to stay in power for close to 30 years while imprisoning and even torturing those who would oppose him. Cashing in, for his own personal wealth, the billions of dollars sent to Egypt from the United States each year, he amassed more than a billion dollars which he squirreled away in a Swiss bank account while his overtaxed and overburdened people staggered under a 20 % unemployment rate.
Shall crime bring crime forever
Strength aiding still the strong?
Is it thy will, O Father
That men shall toil
For wrong?
Oh, no, say thy mountains
No, say thy skies
Man's clouded sun shall brightly rise
And songs be heard, instead of sighs
God save the people!
The news stories of Egypt's poverty, of whole families scouraging garbage dumps for food or items to sell, living among the tombs in graveyards for protection from the searing sun overhead, breaks my heart unbearably. It is the timeless story of man's inhumanity to man, of man's struggle for freedom - in any culture, time or nation.
As I watch the jubilation in the people's faces as they finally - after these 30 years of oppression - stand up and speak out, I am reminded of the joy that comes when we finally face the oppressor - whether political, economic or personal - and demand our freedom, our dignity, and our God-given creative rights.
If we are each a bright star of light and power, and yet we allow a dictator or any system or person to dominate and control us, we have lost our brilliance, our divine power, and consequently lessened God's glory on Earth. Each and every one of us must insist on our own dignity, our own right to free expression and creative freedom.
This fight for freedom in Egypt, the birthplace of civilization, gives me hope that we are growing closer to the day when all of humanity will be free and will live up to our divine right to take our rightful place in the great human concert. Our true maestro only asks us to play our instrument to the best of our ability, to sing from our heart. He or She does not tell us what tune to play or how to play it, only to play with all our heart.
As I see the determination of the bright young people rallying for their freedom in Egypt, I am hopeful that this idea of freedom will spread throughout the world. If enough people gather together there is no power that can stand in the way of a people determined to be free.
As an American, I know this is true. Perhaps we Americans take this for granted, but if there is only one thing that we can say with some sense of pride and dignity, our founding fathers - and not necessarily all those who led the government since - knew that all people are created equally with equal rights under God and the truth of who we were created to be, divine beings in human bodies, would not, and could not ever be realized until we were free. The real work of our lives and souls begins then. Once we are free, then we begin to work to find and bring forth our own inner light to realize and live by its power and creativity.
I support Egypt's courageous pursuit of independence, and stand with all people struggling for their right to live lives of grace and dignity in full creative self expression. I admire the courage of the people who had the sheer nerve and conviction to face whatever Mubarak's secret police might do to them. I also offer a silent prayer for their peaceful transition out of oppression and poverty into freedom and prosperity.
As I watch the jubilation in the people's faces as they finally - after these 30 years of oppression - stand up and speak out, I am reminded of the joy that comes when we finally face the oppressor - whether political, economic or personal - and demand our freedom, our dignity, and our God-given creative rights.
If we are each a bright star of light and power, and yet we allow a dictator or any system or person to dominate and control us, we have lost our brilliance, our divine power, and consequently lessened God's glory on Earth. Each and every one of us must insist on our own dignity, our own right to free expression and creative freedom.
This fight for freedom in Egypt, the birthplace of civilization, gives me hope that we are growing closer to the day when all of humanity will be free and will live up to our divine right to take our rightful place in the great human concert. Our true maestro only asks us to play our instrument to the best of our ability, to sing from our heart. He or She does not tell us what tune to play or how to play it, only to play with all our heart.
As I see the determination of the bright young people rallying for their freedom in Egypt, I am hopeful that this idea of freedom will spread throughout the world. If enough people gather together there is no power that can stand in the way of a people determined to be free.
As an American, I know this is true. Perhaps we Americans take this for granted, but if there is only one thing that we can say with some sense of pride and dignity, our founding fathers - and not necessarily all those who led the government since - knew that all people are created equally with equal rights under God and the truth of who we were created to be, divine beings in human bodies, would not, and could not ever be realized until we were free. The real work of our lives and souls begins then. Once we are free, then we begin to work to find and bring forth our own inner light to realize and live by its power and creativity.
I support Egypt's courageous pursuit of independence, and stand with all people struggling for their right to live lives of grace and dignity in full creative self expression. I admire the courage of the people who had the sheer nerve and conviction to face whatever Mubarak's secret police might do to them. I also offer a silent prayer for their peaceful transition out of oppression and poverty into freedom and prosperity.
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