In 2007 I attended an arts conference at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. A class about the intersection of the arts, faith, protest and social justice peaked my imagination. Is worship music, in a sense, protest music?
Dr. John Witvliet, Director of the Calvin Institute, says, “Yes.” A couple years previous, in A More Profound Allelluia, he had written, “When we sing ‘Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow,’ we are also saying, ‘Down with the gods from whom no blessings flow.'”
I began to see lament and confession, in particular, as acts of protest against the devil, the systems of this fallen world, and the sin in our own hearts. And I began thinking about the conditions of suffering and injustice that my church was addressing in our city. Then I began to write,
“Forgive us Lord, for passing by
When children cry for bread;
Forbid it Lord, that justice lie
In tatters, cold and dead
Outside these walls run desperate streets
Where greed is law and life is cheap …”
I saw that this would be the first verse of a modern hymn. I wanted to anchor it with some kind of refrain or chorus though — a rallying cry. I love American protest music, from slave spirituals to Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, to Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. So although I wanted my verses to be theologically, poetically and emotionally rich, I wanted a “rally cry” refrain like “We shall overcome,” or “The answer is blowin’ in the wind,” or “41 shots.”
And when you want an effective rally cry, one that all creation groans as the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings deeper than mortals can express, you turn to the words of Scripture. So as I prayed, God brought Amos 5:24 to mind:
“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream.”
And so I had the refrain and the title of “Let Justice Roll,” which Sojourn Music has recorded on New Again (download the “Let Justice Roll” chord sheet for free here):
“Let justice roll like a river, like a river let it roll.”
I continued the lament, confession and protest aspects in the second verse:
Convict us Lord, we dance and laugh,
Ignoring those who weep;
Correct us Lord, our golden calf has lulled our hearts to sleep
The gap between the rich and poor
Grows ever wider, shore to shore
There’s racial hate, religious war
And wolves among the sheep.
Then turned in the third verse to a supplication, a request that Christ fill us with His Spirit and send us out — like Isaiah’s “Here am I, send me.”
Indwell us Lord, and purify
Our hands to work for you;
Enlist us Lord to serve nearby
And ‘cross the waters, too;
Your image bearers on the earth
Will never know how much they’re worth
Unless we love and help them first,
And show the way to You.
Our friend Rebecca Elliott composed the music for “Let Justice Roll.” The music matches the tone of the lyrics well (songwriters call this “prosody”). And she hit upon a master stroke when she turned “Let it roll” into a bridge. This is, emotionally, the high point of the song.
Megan Shaffer does a wonderful job of singing “Let Justice Roll” on Sojourn’s recording. She brings passion and energy, matched by the band. You can download “Let Justice Roll,” and ten more songs from New Again, here (where you can also purchase the physical CD).
Here’s hoping more and more worship songwriters and hymnists write social justice songs, anchored in biblical truth and reflecting the heart cries of people everywhere.
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