I Say We Stand

I Say We Stand.

Verse 1

How can the sunrise fly? When all else has failed

Every abstract painting tells its own story

I once stood proud and proud to stand

But time has well let that pass

Chorus

But I say we stand for something different

Take our own pen and write the fates away

So turn to face the crowd and shout it out loud

Sot turn to face the crowd and shout it shout it out loud

Verse 2

A brother to a man seems so useless

A standard of wealth captures the intentions

The hate prospers for what benefit of glory

We screen our lies turn up our eyes but…

(Repeat Chorus)

Bridge

So many desires of this life

Proven to be false

But God asks us to rise above

Deny yourself pick up your cross and…

Commentary: I wrote this song back when I was a sophomore in high school. My brother was youth pastor at a church and had kind of talked with me a little bit about what he was talking to his youth group about.

He was talking about how Jesus preached that God’s kingdom was sort of an upside down kingdom in the world’s eyes. I soon began to question my brother on his motives and quickly tagged him as a heretic but was soon changed when he began to explain to me why he suggested such a thing. He began to talk about how when Jesus came to earth he humbled and lowered himself to the point where he was willing to die for everyone here on earth. This was quite contrary to the way people wanted Jesus to be. The Jews wanted a military general with super natural powers that would free them from the bondage of the Roman emperor. But instead Jesus came as a meek and humble man who called us to love our enemies, think nothing of yourself, and to pick up our cross and follow him, where ever that may be. It really struck me deep and I soon after began to write a song about this new concept on life.

The first verse was actually something God said to me I believe. I had woken to go to school that day and was taking out the garbage on the back porch (yes, God can speak to you anytime even when you take out the garbage). I was having a bad week at school and God came down and encouraged me by saying to me “Josiah how can the sunrise fly when all else has failed”. It struck a chord deep within me and that is how the song was begun. I soon implied the concept my brother Caleb had taught me.

The second verse I considered all the things in life we are a slave to. How family values which Christ preached about had diminished greatly in our society. How a dream of wealth and prosperity is what we like to call the “American Dream”. Yet Jesus had come down and said “blessed are the poor” (Matthew 5:3). The ending comes from the verse Matthew 16:24-28. God calls us to deny our self, pick up our cross and follow him. This is so much easier said then done. So often I find myself pre-occupied with the things that sparkle on this world but I must remember to have an eternal perspective and keep in a relationship with God.

The chorus is calling to set ourselves apart from the world. Please come and accept the calling and may we change the world with God on our side.