� 2001-2006 by Shiloh
�
For the third day of Christmas, I wanna share a special message. This song isn't really about Christmas, but the message is a theme we use for the season. An online acquaintance shared it with me the other day when we were talking about old friends and hardships. (A mutual friend is having some hard times this season.) Anyway, this is one of my acquaintance's favorite songs. He heard it in a choir class when he was in jr. high, and it's stuck with him ever since.
One Tin SoldierBeautiful and sad. A needless tragedy. When I read these words I could see why he was touched, why it has stayed with him this long. It will stay with me as well; I don't think I can forget this song anytime soon. Especially with what is happening in the Eastern world today. Israel and Palestine fighting over land amidst numerous peace talk attempts. Iraq and our occupation. So little peace over there, so many dying, so much hatred and racism. All, or almost all, in the name of Allah. Or Jehovah.
Listen children to a story that was written long ago
'Bout a kingdom on a mountain and the valley folk below.
On the mountain was a treasure
Buried deep beneath a stone,
And the valley people swore
They'd have it for their very own.Go ahead and hate your neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of heaven,
Justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowin'
Come the judgment day
On the bloody morning after
One tin soldier rides away.So the people of the valley sent a message up the hill,
Asking for the buried treasure,
Tons of gold for which they'd kill.
Came an answer from the kingdom:
"With our brothers we will share
All the secrets of our mountain, all
The riches buried there."Go ahead and hate your neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of heaven,
Justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowin'
Come the judgment day
On the bloody morning after
One tin soldier rides away.Now the valley cried with anger;
Mount your horses, draw your swords,
And they killed the mountain people,
So they won their just reward.
Now they stood beside the treasure
On the mountain, dark and red,
Turned the stone and looked beneath it.
"Peace on earth" was all it said.Go ahead and hate your neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of heaven,
Justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowin'
Come the judgment day
On the bloody morning after
One tin soldier rides away.Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter
How ironic. How ironic it is to declare such fighting, such war as holy, in the name of God or Allah, when the true reasons are purely for our own gain. When others (foreigners) are trying to help free an oppressed people and set up a better government and your faction kills themselves and innocents in suicide bombings because of hatred. God is vengeful, yes, but He is also a god of love, a god of peace. Not of war.
His Son is the Prince of Peace, and they would have "peace on earth." *soft smile* A wonderful theme, a worthy goal--or dream, even if it's a pipe dream--and something we should all remember and strive to live by. There was need to kill the mountain folk in the ballad of One Tin Soldier; they were willing to share, but the valley folk were so consumed with greed and hatred, sharing was unthinkable. It makes me wonder though, if the treasure had been silver and gold and precious jewels, what the valley people would have done. It seems very unlikely, given their greediness and hatred, that they would willingly have divided the treasure equally among themselves. No, with their selfishness and single-mindedness, I'm sure they would have turned on one another as well, until one man or group remained or none were left standing. And that is the greater tragedy.
Though they are vastly different, this ballad reminds me to a point of From a Distance. They both speak of war and of peace. They are both beautiful songs and remind me of what my brother will be fighting for in Iraq. Peace. And freedom.
Peace on Earth is what Christ would have us strive for, loving our fellow man. Though Christmas is over, it's still zee season. And it should be the season all year long for peace on Earth and goodwill to men. Too bad too many of us let hatred, greed and avarice get in the way.
