“From the least to the greatest,
    all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike,
    all practice deceit.
 They dress the wound of my people
    as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say,
    when there is no peace.
 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
    No, they have no shame at all;
    they do not even know how to blush. – Jeremiah 6:13-15

Sometimes the most eloquent statement of conscience on an issue is a song. At least that’s what I couldn’t help but think after I heard our daughter (in law) Alicia’s music program perform at a big spring choir festival in Bahrain.

Alicia framed her choir’s concluding song beautifully: “We have several members in our choir and our school community from Palestine,” she said, “so this song is dedicated to them….”

The children then sang the classic 1984 pop collaboration, “We are the World We are the Children…” If you haven’t paid close attention to the lyrics, take a moment to read (I have pasted a couple of verses below).

Personally, I found it quite moving. Not a political statement but a human statement, a powerful reminder that so many of those who suffer in armed conflict are not only the innocent, they are the children.

The camera panned to the audience, and the auditorium was filled with the 2024 version of holding candles in tribute – hundreds of cell phones lit up, raised as silent sentinels to the call for peace.

This is why I selected the Jeremiah passage. It is clear what God thinks of those who pay lip-service to peace yet fail to follow through: “They have no shame,” Jeremiah says, “they do not even know to blush.”

We are the world, We are the children... - DEREK

There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
Oh, when it’s time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all

We can’t go on pretending day by day
That someone somewhere will 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..