This week we’re using a variety of songs as aids to our prayers. Singing and praying often go hand in hand. These songs are peace themed, meant to help us pray for the peace of Jesus in our lives and in our world.
Today’s Bible reading and an excerpt
Read Psalm 120
Too long have I lived
among those who hate peace.
I am for peace;
but when I speak, they are for war.
Today’s song and an excerpt
Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival Lyrics
“Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don’t they help themselves, oh
But when the taxman comes to the door
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no millionaire’s son, no
It ain’t me, it ain’t me; I ain’t no fortunate one, no
Some folks inherit star spangled eyes
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask them, “How much should we give?”
Ooh, they only answer More! more! more! yoh
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no military son, son
It ain’t me, it ain’t me; I ain’t no fortunate one, one”
More thoughts for meditation
This song is kinda a prayer already, invoking the “Lord” four times while describing the greed of the powerful that disregards life and sends young men to war. For some of us this is easy to feel. For others of us it might be more difficult to feel along with this song because maybe we are fortunate sons, born with some white American male privilege, or maybe you are a military son, born into a soldier’s family or in the military yourself. Or maybe it’s hard to identify because you’re a daughter and not a son, the lyrics don’t fit exactly, and the pressures of military enlistment aren’t as pressing for you as they were for 1960’s young men. I still hope you can hear the denunciation of greedy violence in this song and go along with it, saying “no” to being its son/ daughter, calling on the Lord to be your true Parent in the face of it.
One of our pastors, Rod, had some more to say about this song on his blog
Pray
Lord, It ain’t me, it ain’t me; I ain’t no fortunate one.
Today is Brigid Day! Visit this notable spiritual ancestor at our sister site: Celebrating Our Transhistorical Body.