I was born in 1960. That means, I am a product of that awesome decade of the Seventies. Ok, the Sixties too, but my formative years from Junior High(now called Middle School) to High School and then College all occurred in the Seventies. I loved the Seventies and I love Seventies music— A LOT. The XM Chanel 70’s on 7 is played very frequently in my car as is Channel 74-Smokeys Soul Town.
In 1971 a group called The Seekers recorded a song entitled “I’d like to Teach the World to Sing”. This song actually began as an advertising jingle for the Coca-Cola company written by Bill Backer and recorded by The Hillside Singers. The commercial was filmed on a hillside in Italy with a group of 100 young people from all corners of the world holding a bottle of Coke and singing I’d like to teach the world to sing. 1 The beauty of the diversity of people from many different nationalities standing together—-holding a bottle of coke. “It’s the real thing.” What would it look like today? I believe we can still embrace that coming together in Perfect Harmony. Take a couple minutes and listen to it
The jingle became so popular that the commercial version was rewritten with s few new words and went on to become a popular hit song of the 1970’s. The back story states the inspiration of this jingle actually came from a forced layover with many angry people. The next morning they sat in the airport waiting for their flight to continue on as they each drank a bottle of Coke. Bill Hacker was inspired by the scene and this led to him writing the jingle for Coke “I’d like to buy the world a coke and keep it company”
The recorded commercial song was revised and re-recorded with these lyrics.
I’d like to build the world a home and furnish it with love.
Grow apple trees and honey bees and Snow White turtle doves
I’d like to teach the world to sing
In Perfect Harmony
I’d like to hold it in my arms
And keep it company
I’d like to see the world for once
All standing hand in hand
And hear them echo through the hills
for peace throughout the land
That’s the song I hear
Let the world sing today
I’d like to teach the world to sing
I woke up with this song in my head. It just popped in my head out of the blue. As songs do at different times. Songs that bring back memories. Thoughts that trigger those long ago songs we grew up with. In the seventies, Christian music was not a huge industry. Yes, we had our singing groups but not the groups we see on the christian music scene today. I was a part of a group of teens at our church called The New Life Singers. There were eight of us I recall and we would sing at various events around town. That was basically the only Christian music I listened to at that time. My music influences came from the radio or those ever popular TV Shows American BandStand and Soul Train. I have found in my own life that those Secular pop songs can speak to me just as much as the Christian songs of today. Sometimes, even more so.
Which brings me back to this song— I’d like to Teach the World to Sing.
As I have listened and watch events of the past two weeks unfold, I am angry and sad, but mostly heartbroken. I’m watching “Christians” demean not just others but each other. It doesn’t seem that anyone is willing to stand on a hill with diverse people from across the globe, let alone right here in our own country. Last week there was a lot of controversy over the Episcopal Priest Mariann Budde who preached the Presidential Inauguration service. I really have no idea who this person is but I have been reading a lot about her sermon and her challenge to President Trump. She is being criticized for challenging President Trump to have mercy on those who are afraid. Franklin Graham called her words Demonic. I am very familiar with Franklin Graham. I’m not sure when quoting scripture became Demonic. Do we use scripture out of context? Absolutely. Many times we look for scripture to justify our reasons for what we do. But Bishop Budde was reading from the lectionary verse for that week of Lectionary reading. Franklin Graham’s prayer said “Father, when Donald Trumps enemies thought he was down and out, you and you alone saved his life and raised him up with strength and power by your mighty hand.” He was basically saying that God protected President Trump for the purposes of making America great again. I don’t think God had anything to do with that. Why didn’t he protect the fire fighter that lost his life. Was the Presidents life more important? I don’t think so. Honestly, I am WRESTLING with it all!!
There are so many loud voices.
I did not watch the Inauguration, but someone showed me the clip of Bishop Budde’s challenge to have mercy. It sounded like an earnest plea to remember that there are people who are worried and afraid. There have been writings on how dare we criticize her for quoting scripture. There have been writings about her progressive faith and how her overall message and ministry is damaging, progressive and against the natural laws of God. I have read several things trying to wrap my head around what is happening. Whether we agree with her whole agenda or not, the vicious and demeaning words that are coming out of the mouths of people who follow Christ is alarming. There are better ways to disagree and we should be able to voice our disagreements without vicious words. The problem is or my problem with it all is we have attached our politics to Jesus and depending on which side you are on is the side that Jesus is on. Jesus was neither Republican or Democrat (by the way-neither am I. Tell me the issue and I will vote accordingly). Throughout scripture we are told to help the poor and marginalized, the widow and the orphan. Does someone not need compassion just because they are gay or poor or an immigrant? You can be compassionate with people without agreeing with them. Jesus did it all the time.
This weeks episode of Voxology they dive into this conversation a little. Mike Erre says “We don’t mind religion when it is pro us. We don’t like religion and politics when it’s challenging something that we hold dear, let alone when it’s a direct piece of Christian scripture and posture.” Voxology podcast
Also Rich Villodas in his Substack post Heretics and Peacemakers wrote
“Until we are emotionally present with ourselves, naming the enmeshment we are prone to be entangled in, we will take critique of our affiliations as outright criticisms of who we are at our deepest center. So then, when the candidate or party, or position you support is criticized, and you feel deep anger and defensiveness, the question we need to ask is: Why am I so defensive? Have I confused my core identity with the person or party I support? The painful truth of this is, if a political leader is beyond genuine critique in our mind, the political leader has taken on a god-like status.” Ouch! I’m listening!
I use my journal to process my emotions. Sometimes, I cannot write as fast as my thoughts are coming out. It seems that since 2020 my whole “church” world, my whole “christian” world has been blowing up in my face. Not my faith in Jesus just my view of the church. I am 64 and I have been in church my whole life. That’s a lot to be blown up. I think of the Atom bomb and the annihilation it left in its wake. The long term effects it left. Increased risk of cancer, genetic effects, increased risk of miscarriage and on and on. It was devastating for generations. ( I know, strong comparison but you get my idea) What will the long term effects of this viral hatred we continually see displayed from social media, from our elected officials, from other christians and from our platform celebrity pastors etc. I want to stand on the hill and yell—WHERE HAVE ALL THE CHRISTIANS GONE?
BUT INSTEAD
I’m singing this song in my head. “I’d like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony.” I watched this Coke commercial and I thought— “Isn’t this what Jesus calls us to do? Isn’t this what scripture teaches us?” (ok, not hold a bottle of coke but..,) To Welcome diversity, to treat all men equal, to include those who are on the outskirts that do not fit in. To Love our neighbor as ourselves. It seems that Diversity has now become an evil word even as we live in a very diverse world.
Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. Colossians 3:11-15
Did you catch the “Perfect Harmony” hidden there in that scripture? —Here in scripture Paul is also talking about living in Perfect Harmony. Paul tells us to PUT ON compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience. He tells us to be patient and restrained. He tells us to forgive as Christ has forgiven us. I am really working on this one myself. And then Paul tells us in Ephesians..,
Let all bitterness, anger and wrath shouting and slander be removed from you, along with malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. Ephesians 4:31-32
I’m working on this one too.
I wrote this down this morning— There has never been a time in my life more than now that I desperately want Jesus to return. To bring heaven to earth and establish his forever kingdom. Because in his forever kingdom, there will be no borders. There will be Black, White, Brown, Asian, Latino, European, Indian etc etc. We will ALL worship and maybe sing together side by side, like on the Italian hillside,(if there is wine in heaven, can we also have a bottle of coke? come on!!) without fear of raids, deportations, gun violence or someone unfriending us. There will be no more hate. There will be an endless amount of love for ALL people in Gods kingdom. There will be no pastors or politicians on their celebrity platforms because Jesus is and will always be on the Ultimate platform— HIS THRONE.
On the Holy Post Podcast Phil Vischer says “Do you know why it’s going to be okay? Because Jesus is why it’s going to be okay and because we’re his followers and we can still follow him. Trump hasn’t done anything that prevents us from following Jesus and showing his love to our neighbors.”
When I named my Substack publication Living in the Grey, it came from a deep longing to recognize that life is not really Black and White answers all the time. There are a lot of things I am in the “grey” on. I was not raised that way but as I have aged I recognize more and more that there are a lot of unanswered questions we face. There are a lot of doubts and fears that we cannot provide a solution for. But the one thing that is VERY clear in Scripture is— Love the Lord your God with all your heart and Love your neighbor as yourself. I’m finding it hard to see that in our country right now. We can still speak out but as Paul says in Ephesians 4:15— Rather speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.
As I close this out, I do want to be clear in that I agree that the Immigration system needs new laws and it is a broken system But I also want to be clear that as we do that, we should do it with respect not hatred toward our fellow man. (See my note below on contacting your Senators and Representatives.)
SO…….,
I would like to “teach the world to sing in perfect harmony, I’d like to hold it in my arms and keep it company. I’d like to see the world for once all standing hand in hand and hear them echo through the hills for peace throughout the land. That’s the song I sing”
A song from the seventies, that still cries out a message we need today.
What is your song to sing?
On a side note: I wrestled and wrestled with this post. I wrote, I deleted, I rewrote etc. I have friends on both sides of the political isles. I have respect for them and why they voted as they did. It is the extremes that play out on social media, the lies, the manipulations etc. I can live with disagreements over policies but It is just so frustrating to see people worship a man over Jesus. Please feel free to share your thoughts.
Contacting your Senators and Congress members. The last few years, I have been emailing or calling my Senators and Congress with my concerns. Part of our responsibility as Citizens is to vote yes, But by contacting your senators and congress members you have a voice that is heard directly. At first it seems scary, but for the most part you will talk to an Aide if you call. They record your concerns and they track the number of inquiries they receive on topics of concern for their constituents. I generally prefer email because they will email me back with their responses. My Senators are John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy. Each time I have emailed with a question, they have responded. I may not agree with their response but I have let them know my concern. My congressman is Steve Scalise, unfortunately he has never responded to my questions but I have made my questions known.
There have been many times decisions have been reversed due to the large amount of backlash they receive from Constituents. Here are the links to contact your Senators and Representatives. Contact Senator, Contact Representatives
I urge you to let your concerns be know. They do want to hear from you. You may or may not have voted for them but they still represent you in their roles of government. That is part of participating in helping make decisions.
Oh, Janet, there are so many loud and strident voices demanding our attention these days. More than ever. I want to be still and quiet so I can hear the voice of our Savior speak life and truth and peace to my heart.