[YouTube link: click the image above]
We Are the Children. In my mind, there is no song more to
the point of this week’s theme than this. It is at once a celebration of the
best of many things: our children/our future and the voices of a collection of
some of the best in music.
It is a song of hope and dedication. Hope for a
better/brighter future. A dedication of the time and energies of some of our
best voices to a purpose that focuses on our best hope for a better future: the
next generation.
Part of the essence of Christmas is a celebration of birth: the
birth of One who offered and promised a better future: in this world and beyond.
And through this birth, we celebrate all births and lives, long or short.
Being that our time in this world is limited - whether by a random bullet or a pre-ordained
calendar that foretells a cataclysm that ends the world – it is up to us to
make the most of our days, be they six years or six score years.
To me – and to most of us who live our days through the
beauty of music – music is the essence of life. But life without the money to
live in comfort and peace is also illusory. Thanks to the energy and dedication
of Harry Belafonte, Michael Jackson, Lionel Ritchie and the musical stars whose
names appear on screen in the video, this song helped earned in excess of $10
million dollars for charity and further raised $40 million in donations – much of
it directly related to and spent on issues that affect children (birth control,
food and similar humanitarian aid). $50 million dollars wont bring back to life
the children and teachers of Newtown, but it did make a small difference for
some of the world’s children.