A pregnant and laboring earth …
Now, O Spirit
© 2005 Bret Hesla
1. Now, O Spirit, fill us with fire.
Your compassion be our desire.
Now, O Spirit, open our hands.
May we share as need demands.
Letting go of what is not ours,
True abundance ev’rywhere flowers.
Daily giving justice birth:
Dawn of peace, a laboring earth.
2. Now, O Spirit, giver of breath
Free us from consuming death.
May we throttle runaway “More,”
monkey wrench the gears of war.
Meet oppression face to face
We resist in nonviolent ways.
Daily giving justice birth:
Dawn of peace, a laboring earth.
3. Now, O Spirit, turn us aside
In our quiet moments confide.
Healing Womb, Enveloping Urn
We in you develop and learn.
In the night, your silence we hear.
By your calm we certainly steer.
Daily giving justice birth:
Dawn of peace, a laboring earth.
4. Pouring Spirit, Swig of Delight
Cup of Joy, all people unite.
Shine, O Sweet Expression of Grace.
Be revealed in ev’ry face.
Sharing food our spirits we blend;
Truths discovered in stranger and friend.
Daily giving justice birth:
Dawn of peace, a laboring earth.
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It’s hard to write a song about non-violence, and non-violent resistance to oppression. It’s a hard word to sing, for one. And usually, writing about a negative concept is always less powerful that writing about a positive one. Hmmm. You hate to just talk around it poetically, especially when you’re hanging with someone like my friend Jack-Nelson-Pallmeyer. There’s a guy who does not beat around the bush.
Well, here’s an attempt at such a song from my collaboration with Jack. It fits in the framework of a larger service of songs and readings.