This. Slays me. Breaks me. Opens me. Please listen. Again and again.
The group, The Black Eyed Peas, has done and re-done this amazing, devastating, healing song. It is a bridge. It is a bridge in so many ways. It bridges the world into my heart. It bridges those who would be power to those who are turned into victims. It bridges the most innocent to the most guilty. It bridges people of various color to people of various color (because, if you haven’t noticed, there is no such thing as a human being without color. We all have color and it’s high time we stopped pretending otherwise.) It bridges the lovers to the haters, the challengers to the fearers. It bridges those who think they have a message to those who have all of their lives been silenced.
Please listen to this song. Listen several times. Listen many times. Again and again.
In what follows, I’ve captured the words of the song that slay me, that break me, that open me. At the bottom, the link will take you to the song.
Bob Patrick
Where is the love?
People killin’. People dyin’.
Children hurtin’. I hear them cryin’.
Can you practice what you preachin’?
Would you turn the other cheek again?
Mama, Mama, Mama tell us what the hell is going on. Can’t we all just get along?
Father, Father, Father send us guidance from up above, as people guide me got my questions.
Where is the love?
If you’ve only got love for the people of your own race, then you are going to leave space for others to discriminate.
Where’s the love?
We were all born with a heart, but we all got to chase it.
Where’s the love?
If you never speak the truth, and you never know a love-sound, and if you never know love then you never know God. Love is the truth, ya’ll.
Love is powerful.
Fear. Hate. Transmission interrupted. Love makes a bridge. Fear and hate interrupt transmissions. Signal lost. Call dropped.