What I love about this song, is that Coldplay begin from a position of grace, acknowledging that God is the one who gives us grace, and puts joy in our hearts.
From this position of grace, the question is asked, 'Where do I go to fall from grace'? Where do you draw the line? It is not unusual for people to try and work out who is better or worse a person than each other, trying to understand moral boundaries.
The Apostle Paul wrote 'Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law' rather, through the law we become conscious of sin....there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus' Romans 3:20-24
NOW THAT WILL PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE !
Where do we go nobody knows? I've gotta say I'm on my way down God give me style and give me grace God put a smile upon my face Where do we go to draw the line? I've gotta say I wasted all your time, (oh honey honey) Where do I go to fall from grace? God put a smile upon your face, yeah Now, when you work it out I'm worse than you Yeah, when you work it out I wanted to Now, when you work out where to draw the line Your guess is as good as mine Where do we go nobody knows? Don't even say you're on your way down, (when) God gave you style and gave you grace And put a smile upon your face, ah yeah Now, when you work it out I'm worse than you Yeah, when you work it out I wanted to Now, when you work out where to draw the line Your guess is as good as mine Its as good as mine[x7] Where do we go nobody knows? Don't even say you're on your way down, (when) God gave you style and gave you grace And put a smile upon your face
Wouldn't it be great if the answer to this question 'where is the love?', could be answered by 'the love is in the church' ?
It is the simple, fundamental principle of Christianity, and yet, it is missed out so often, because love is harder to do than legalism, or judging or criticising. We miss the simplicity of the message 'love one another', but thanks to The Black Eyed Peas, we have a wake up call to what really matters, and what we really should be living for.
'If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also' - Jesus
'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you' - Jesus
'Love your neighbor as yourself' - Jesus
'Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.' - Jesus
'A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.' - Jesus
' My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends' - Jesus
What's wrong with the world, mama
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA, the big CIA fightin'
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah
Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all
People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek
Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love
The love, the love
It just ain't the same, always unchanged
New days are strange, is the world insane
If love and peace is so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong
Nations droppin' bombs
Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone
So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong
In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin'
in
Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover
The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the love, y'all
People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek
Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love, the love, the love?
I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' our wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema
Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
When I hear this song, I am reminded of a song written by David, who became king of Israel hundreds of years before the birth of Christ.
It goes ‘ Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.’ Psalm 139:7-10
It doesn’t matter where in the whole galaxy, (or universe for that matter) that we may end up in, we have a God who will guide us and show us the way, when we may be lost.
Jesus called himself ‘The Morning Star’ in Revelation 22:16. He is the one we can fix our eyes on, and get our bearings in life, and follow down the narrow path that leads to life.
‘...set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.’ 1 Peter 1:13
‘We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.’ Hebrews 6:19
‘...it is by grace that you have been saved’ Ephesians 2:5
GALAXIES
Call back the cap com,
Tick off the time bomb,
Let felicity fly.
Armor the air lock,
Blanket the bed rock,
And kiss the planet goodbye.
Dear God, I was terribly lost
When the galaxies crossed
And the sun went dark.
But dear God, You're the only North Star
I would follow this far.
Da da da da da dada da
Fight back the flight deck,
Bring on the break neck
Cue the solar eclipse
Summit the sunset
Dubtail the dragnet
And blow your backbone to bits.
Dear God, I was terribly lost
When the galaxies crossed
And the sun went dark.
But dear God, You're the only North Star
I would follow this far.
Oh telescope,
Keep an eye on my only hope,
Lest I blink and get swept off the narrow road,
Hercules, you've got nothing to say to me,
'Cause you're not the blinding light that I need.
For He is the saving grace of the galaxies (galaxies, galaxies, galaxies, galaxies)
Heaven hear me now I'm lost without a cause After giving it my all Winter storms have come And darkened my sun After all that I've been through Who on earth can I turn to? I look to you I look to you After all my strength is gone In you I can be strong I look to you I look to you And when melodies are gone In you I hear a song, I look to you About to lose my breath There's no more fighting left Sinking to rise no more Searching for that open door And every road that I've taken Led to my regret And I don't know if I'm gonna make it Nothing to do but lift my head I look to you I look to you And when all my strength is gone In you I can be strong I look to you I look to you And when melodies are gone In you I hear a song, I look to you My levee's have broken, my walls have come Crumbling down on me The rain is falling, defeat is calling I need you to set me free Take me far away from the battle I need you, shine on me I look to you I look to you After all my strength has gone In you I can be strong I look to you I look to you And when melodies are gone In you I hear a song, I look to you I look to you I look to you
