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Justice And Love

by Bryan Sirchio

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1.
Bryan Sirchio Justice and Love I met this preacher from Australia He read the Bible searching for its dominant themes And he counted 87 times when Jesus said... "Follow me." Well you know that got me thinking Maybe that's the bottom line of what "Christian" means 'Cause "I follow Jesus" is deeper than "I believe" 'Cause it don't take much to mentally agree With a set of beliefs written down in some creed Now don't get me wrong, we need to know what we believe But lately I've been wondering... (Chorus) Am I following Jesus, or just believing in Christ 'Cause I can believe and not change a thing But following will change my whole life He never said, come, acknowledge my existence Or believe in me I'm the 2nd person of the Trinity But 87 time he said... Follow me But if I'm a follower of Jesus, Then why am I such a good life insurance risk? And why, when I do my giving, do I still keep so much when so much hunger exists? And if I follow Jesus, then why do I have so many friends among the affluent, and so few among the poor? And if I follow Jesus, why do missiles and guns make me feel more secure? And it don't take much to mentally assent To a statement of faith we can confirm and forget But following will change our lifestyle if we get it and more and more I'm wondering... (Chorus) (Bridge) Yes, we need to know what we believe, to follow the Jesus who's real God save us from the Christ's we create in our image (you know what I mean...) The Jesus who's as left wing or right wing as we The one who baptizes our cherished ideologies The one who always seems to favor our side against some enemy Now I don't mean to sound self-righteous God knows I've got more questions than answers to proclaim But its been over 20 years now since Jesus called my name So forgive me if I'm mistaken But there's something wrong with a lot of churches in America these days And I think the Spirit's trying to tell us There's a question that the churches need to raise... (Chorus) Are we following Jesus? Or just believing in Christ? 'Cause we can believe, and not change a thing But following will change our whole life He never said, come, acknowledge my existence Or believe in me, I'm your first class ticket to eternity... But 87 times he said... Follow me... Credits: Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio Crosswind Music, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
2.
"Women Walked With Jesus Too" Well almost everyone has heard of the apostles The twelve men who walked by Jesus' side But not so many seem to know the women of the Gospels For lots of reasons they've not been historically recognized So its time to celebrate some female disciples Women who walked with Him when the savior walked the earth Mary Jesus' Mother, and Mary Magdalene (repeat) Mary and Martha of Bethany (repeat) Susanna, Joanna, and the women Jesus healed (repeat) Salome and Mary, mother of James (repeat) The Syrophenician woman, and the woman at the well (repeat) And "certain other women" in Luke 8 (repeat) They were the last to leave the cross, and the first to reach the tomb Women walked with Jesus too They were the last to leave the cross, and the first to reach the tomb Women walked with Jesus too Credits: Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio Crosswind Music, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
3.
"I'd Just Like To Know" I don't mind you trying to maximize your profits I'm not trying to take a dime from your pocket I don't want to see anyone lose a job And I've no intention to stage a boycott (Chorus) I'd just like to know where my money goes I'd just like to know if there's a sweat stain hidden in the clothes I buy Tell me why, if you've got nothing to hide, you don't Disclose the names of the factories that you use Open up their doors to an independent human rights group If there's a reason why you won't I'd just like to know Wal-Mart, Disney, Nike, Guess, and J.C. Penney I can't name them all-there's just too many And I know these markets are competitive by nature I am not saying you shouldn't use third-world labor (Chorus) (Bridge) Tell me please, what's with these off-shore factories With barbed wire fences and guns at the gates Tell us please, we need to know exactly How our clothes are made And what kind of wage those workers get paid Let's bring it all to the light of day (Repeat verse one and Chorus) (Tag) It's a small world after all, you can't do business in the shadows (repeat) What 'ya doing in Nicaragua, Indonesia and Saipan? Bangladesh and Guatemala, Malaysia and Viet Nam Maquillas in Honduras, in China and Salvador In Thailand and Burma - what's going on behind those factory doors In New York City, in Haiti and L.A. The Dominican Republic - let's bring it all into the light of day I'd like to know what you're doing in Mexico Liz Claiborne, and K-Mart and Reebok and J Crew I hear Victoria's got a secret Eddie Bauer and the Gap, Abercrombie and Fitch All I'd like are the facts; all I'm asking is this... Let's bring it all into the light of day Credits: Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio Crosswind Music, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
4.
"The Greatest Enemy" Every day my list is long So many things to do Calls to return and letters to write Most of them long overdue God knows I can't stand to let people down Or maybe I'm addicted to always trying to please But lately I find myself thinking about These words I heard recently (Chorus) The greatest enemy of God's will for your life Is all the good things others want you to do You keep saying yes, 'til there's no time left To do what you're most deeply called to do You know, "yes" doesn't mean much if you never say no Are you doing what you're meant to do? Don't let the good things take what's best from you Choices would be much easier If they were always between The essential things and the expendable But its rarely that way it seems They're between good and best instead of right and wrong What good thing will I say no to? I'll probably disappoint a friend Should I write that letter, or should I write this song? How do those words go again... (Chorus) Credits: Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio Crosswind Music, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
5.
"If You Eat Each Day" Haiti is the poorest country in this hemisphere I go there now and then to get my vision clear Sometimes it gets so hazy in this land of I consume therefore I am I was working in this clinic for the dying & diseased Living skeletons with AIDS and TB Organized and run by Mother Teresa and her sisters of Charity I asked the nun in charge, Sister, what should I do? She smiled and said I've got a job for you Then she gave me a pair of scissors, and said, See that man right there He'd like for you to cut his hair I said, oh, Sister are you sure?... I mean its not like I have given many haircuts in my day But I was there to help, so I just smiled and said, OK So there I was, this natural born Vidal Sassoon just snipping that hair away We struck up conversation as best we could His English was broken, my Creole's not too good But we managed to communicate enough for him to say Something I never will forget You see I asked him, do you think I'm rich? And this was his response to me He said, well how many times a week do you eat? Well his question took my voice away And then he said, you mean you eat every day? And I said, yeah, and he just said this Well if you eat each day, you're rich Somehow that moment felt to me like Holy Ground I finished his haircut and when I turned around There was a whole line of customers who kinda like the way I cut that one man's hair! So I gave them haircuts but they gave me so much more They gave me the perspective of the poorest of the poor And I know I'll spend the rest of my life trying to somehow respond 'Cause if its true as we often say that wealth is relative It just might take the dying poor in a place like Port au Prince To help us see this relativity from God's point of view To cut through our first world denial with gospel Truth And as for me, I know I need to receive this paradigm shift That in a hungry world, if we eat each day... We're rich Haiti is the poorest country in this hemisphere I go there now and then to get my vision clear Sometimes it gets so hazy in this land of I consume therefore I am Credits: Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio Crosswind Music, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
6.
"There Really Is A God" (The Daycare Song) Michelle and her husband ran a daycare They did it for love, and not much money Word got around, they turned no children down Even when their parents couldn't pay And sometimes their friends would tell them You know you can't do business this way Michelle and her husband would gently respond We're just trying to live as though There really is a God A mother of two kids, her name was Suzanne She dropped off her children every morning She never once paid, and at first that was O.K. But after a while, Michelle felt used And then one day Suzanne and her kids just disappeared Michelle and the daycare got ripped off Fine thanks for living as though There really is a God But not long after that, Michelle was praying one night And this picture of Suzanne just flashed into her mind And then this thought came out of nowhere, that said "Find out where Suzanne lives, and take a bag of groceries to her kids" Well at first Michelle thought "no way" "She ripped me off - why should I be kind/" But every time she prayed, Suzanne came to her mind So she finally said "all right!" And she took those groceries by There was no one at the door She left the groceries on the porch A year or so later, Michelle was driving A couple of towns away one day When to her surprise, some children caught her eye And sure enough, it was Suzanne's kids Well at first Michelle was tempted To just keep driving on But something deep inside said, "Stop" Things like this happen when There really is a God Well the kids were glad to see Michelle They gave her great big hugs They said, "Michelle, come see where we live now" Suzanne was at the door, and said Michelle I'm glad you've come Can I get you some coffee? Please sit down Then she said, Michelle, I'm sorry - I never paid your bill And you prob'ly won't believe me, but I promise you I will And I'd really like to tell you why things happened as they did Michelle said, there's no need But Suzanne said, let me, please You see I was married to a very angry man He took all I had, I took his abuse Then he just took off; I was evicted with two hungry kids I had no one that I could turn to And I'm not proud of what I'm going to tell you now But I was so hopeless and desperate That I pawned my wedding ring, and I bought myself a gun And I planned to take my life, and the lives of both my sons But driving back home from the pawn shop I cried out "Hey God, if you're really there!" I need to know now! And God, I'm not messing around And as I pulled into the drive There were two huge bags of groceries on my porch And Michelle, I know you prob'ly think I'm odd But those groceries proved to me that There really is a God And believing God was with her, Suzanne was not alone She grabbed the yellow pages, and called a church up on the phone And she says, from that day forward, its like I've had a brand new life And Michelle, well, she never mentioned who brought those groceries by Michelle and her husband run a daycare They do it for love and not much money And sometimes their friends still tell them You know, you can't do business this way But they just smile and gently respond We're just trying to live as though There really is a God Credits: Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio Crosswind Music, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
7.
"Westbound On Interstate 80 (The Sneaker Song)" Westbound on Interstate 80, driving with my family Little kids, little bladders, you know how it is "Dad, can we stop soon please?" Saw one of those blue signs, "Rest Area 2 Miles" We got there just in time While I was waiting for my children, I saw this homeless man Dirty hair, dirty clothes, you know how it is Looking like a street man can Something in my heart said, how can I help this man? And then these words popped right into my head that said... How does the love of God abide in you If you have this world's goods and yet refuse to help someone in need? How does the love of God abide in you If you have this world's goods and yet refuse to help someone in need? And then I saw his shoes You see, both of his shoes were worn out Most of his toes were bare And then I heard this voice, and I think it was the voice of God It said, "Give the man your extra pair." And I thought, oh God-that's a crazy thing to do Besides, how am I supposed to know If these thoughts are sent to me from you? And anyway, my only extra pair's my favorite New Balance running shoes And then that same voice said something like, "Those will do." How does the love of God abide in you If you have this world's goods and yet refuse to help someone in need? So as my kids got in the car I laughed and thought, "This is insane." So I turned the motor over and began to drive away I got almost to the highway when my heart stepped on the brakes I said, "There's something I forgot you guys - just wait." And so I found that man and said, "Excuse me sir, but you look down on your luck" And he said, "Yeah, I guess I am. You got an extra buck?" And I said, "Yeah, but try these shoes." And they fit just like a glove And he said, "God bless you." And I thought, "God sure does." West bound on Interstate 80, feeling kind of strange but free Could it be God's gift to me - a gift to me Just to see that homeless man "Dad!" - you guessed it..., "Can we stop soon please?" Credits: Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio Crosswind Music, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
8.
"Dear Mr. Eisner" Mr. Michael D. Eisner CEO The Walt Disney Company 500 Buena Vista Street Burbank, CA 91521-0752 Dear Mr. Eisner, I've recently heard about your workforce in developing nations I've also just learned the rather staggering terms Of your own CEO compensation But first let me thank you - you see I grew up With Mickey Mouse and Goofy and the rest of the club I've always seen Disney as a positive force But that's why I was shocked and appalled all the more To find out that your workers in third world sweatshops Are working for starvation wages Don't get me wrong-I mean they really need the jobs And I commend you for the work you've created But the 2 to 3 bucks that you pay them each day Is not enough to keep food on their plates I hear 97 thousand dollars is your hourly wage Are you 346,000 times worth more than they? (Chorus) Well I wish we could talk face to face I'd like to listen and explain to you why If Disney won't pay a real living wage You won't get a dollar of mine I won't go to your theme parks, your movies or stores I'll tell folks that Mickey Mouse rips off the poor If Disney won't pay a real living wage You won't get a dollar of mine Dear Mr. Eisner, I do understand The business of subcontract labor But you and I know, the power's in your hands To change subcontractor's behavior So I appeal to you now on the firm basis of The biblical ethics of justice and love Its clear that your margins are healthy enough To afford a wage increase that's modest but just (Chorus) (Bridge) Mr. Eisner, I mean you no disrespect I know your stockholders demand dividends So I want you to know that I'd gladly pay more For clothes that aren't made by exploiting the poor Mr. Eisner, I don't mean to single you out But you're a symbol of what this whole system's about And I pray you'll find courage to do what is right But until you do let me say one more time (Chorus) Credits: Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio Crosswind Music, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
9.
"Friends Like You" Sometimes I get feeling down And I keep it to myself But then you call or come around And somehow your friendship helps And you might not know how much it means So I want you to hear me say, that... (Chorus) Its friends like you Who keep the candle burning When the flame gets weak and the night is long And its friends like you Whose simple acts of kindness Reflect for me the love of God And if I've learned anything its this There's nothing I can't go through As long as God's with me And I've got friends like you Sometimes I get wondering Whether things I say and do Really matter much to anyone Or if the deeper things get through But then you call and tell me how God's been touching someone through my life, and you know... (Chorus) Sometimes we are distanced by The miles in between But in the Love of Jesus Christ You're always close to me Just knowing you are who you are Helps me be who I'm trying to be (Chorus) Credits: Music & Lyrics By Bryan Sirchio Crosswind Music, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
10.
Empty Chair 04:37
Empty Chair Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio Back when he was 8 years old, he fell while climbing a tree The doctor said this broken are will need some surgery The little boy was frightened, and so his mother said a prayer He said mom, sometimes I try to pray, but I can’t when I get scared And then he mother just said this… When you’re not sure how to pray, just find an empty chair, and think of Jesus there And talk to him just like a friend who’s always there In the empty chair The little boy became a man, and had his own family His daughter once fell off her bike, and was rushed to emergency In the hospital waiting room, feeling lost and anxious and scared He closed his eyes and tried to pray, but there words were just not there And then he remembered what his mother had said… Chorus Bridge: Well his daughter pulled through fine, and the years kept rolling by And his mother’s eyes grew dim, and then her mind began to fail It got to where she didn’t even know her own son’s name But he always stopped to visit, and before he’d leave he’d say (now remember mom) Chorus The doctor called one morning, and he said, you’re mom’s gone home She passed away while sleeping; it was a peaceful way to go One thing kind of strange though; the nurse who found her said That your mother’s head was resting on this chair next to the bed Chorus Tag: What a friend we have in Jesus; all our sins and griefs to bear What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer
11.
"Something Beautiful For God" Know this one thing above all else We are loved, loved by God Let this be how we see ourselves As people loved, loved by God And once we know the love of Christ Feel God's healing in our lives Loving service is how we give our love back to God (Chorus) Today let us do something beautiful for God Do something small, but do it with great love Do what we can, where we are, with what we've got Today let us do something beautiful for God Everyone who we meet today Is God's child, God's own child May our lives help them hear God say You are my child, God's own child A smile can radiate God's love Let them see the Christ in us let our lives be the cheerfulness of God in this world (Chorus) Jesus will visit us today In disguise, in disguise Poor and weak, Christ will come our way Jesus Christ, in disguise The lonely, poor, the victimized Love for them is love for Christ Love is water to quench the thirst of Christ on the cross (Chorus) Credits: Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio Crosswind Music, 1999. All Rights Reserved.

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released July 2, 1999

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Bryan Sirchio Madison, Wisconsin

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