(Intro)
Yeah.
History repeats, but we’re losing the melody.
Listen.
(Verse 1)
Flashback, two thousand years to the dust
A decree from a king, a betrayal of trust
No golden cradle, just a stable and hay
Then the soldiers started marching, had to run right away
Young Joseph grabbed the reins, Mary gripped the child tight
Trekking through the shadows in the dead of the night
No passport in his hand, just a prophecy's weight
Crossing over borders to a neighboring state
They were aliens in Egypt, seeking shade from the sun
The very first story of a family on the run
Yeah, the Savior was a displaced soul in the sand
Finding mercy in the heart of a different land.
(Chorus)
But now we’re closing up the gates and we’re locking the door
Turning backs on the weary, pushing back on the poor
We forgot the holy infant was a runaway too
Now we’re judging the many for the sins of a few
Yeah, we’re failing the test, we’re losing the fight
Leaving brothers in the dark, denying the light.
(Verse 2)
Fast forward to the present, see the wire on the fence
We talk about "security" at human expense
Mothers huddled in the cold, fathers drowning at sea
While we argue 'bout the cost of a life being free
We claim to follow the Word, yeah we pray and we sing
But we’d probably deport the very Lord that we bring
If he showed up at the border with a tan and a scar
Would we grant him an asylum or a seat behind bars?
It’s a cold-hearted rhythm, it’s a systematic hate
Deciding who deserves a life and who deserves fate.
(Bridge)
(Beat drops out, just a heavy bass pulse)
And I hear a voice echoing through the divide
Asking where is the mercy? Where did you hide?
He said: "For I was a stranger in your land,
And you welcomed me with an open hand."
But look at your hands now—are they open or clenched?
Is your spirit alive or is it totally quenched?
(Verse 3)
We treat 'em like trash, like a burden, a blight
Forget they’re fleeing from the fire, running for their life
The irony is heavy, yeah it’s bitter and deep
That the faith we profess is the promise we break
If you love the Creator but you hate the oppressed
Then your religion is a hollow, empty shell at its best
Break the chains, flip the script, let the empathy flow
‘Cause we’re all just travelers with nowhere to go.
(Outro)
(Oud melody returns with a heavy drum break)
A stranger in your land.
Will you welcome him?
Or will you turn him away again?
Bethlehem to Egypt.
The border to the city.
Where’s the grace?
Where’s the pity?
Goz
