A gift of a song "Our City Of Ruins"

Knox Presbyterian Church, Christchurch taken by a friend Skot Mcloud on Tuesday February 22nd on his way home to see if his family was OK.  

I have found it hard to pray after the earthquake in Christchurch last week. No my faith isn't shaken. No I don't have a sense of wanting to scream at God "well where were you?"

I guess as a New Zealander I have just felt myself be numbed by it, shocked by it. I have reached into my pocket and given, I have talked with people and we have shared a sense of devastation and care and concern for the people of Christchurch. I've been involved in a welcome for students here at a hall of residence  and  Nine students who were at that hostile from Christchurch. shaken and away from home, safe but deeply concerned for family back home, some who no longer have a place to live. All knowing someone who has died. It just seems hard to keep on doing the normal everyday stuff, the get the kids off to school, go to work stuff, the polite conversation stuff.

I have emailed and facebooked friends down in Christchurch and breathed a sigh of relief that they are OK. Selfish perhaps.

Rev Martin Stewart is a colleague in Christchurch and has been keeping people in touch with what is going on down in Christchurch by email. In one of those emails he simply shared the words and a YouTube link to the Bruce Springsteen song "Our City Of Ruins" and I found a voice for what was sitting in my heart.

Thanks Martin for being willing to bring that as a gift to others in such a time and place and also thanks to Bruce Springsteen for such a song.

Springsteen wrote it for his own home city watching it fall into the slow death of urban decay. It found a new lease of life after 9/11and after Cyclone Katrina hit New Orleans . And as Springsteen says "While he wrote the song for his home town once it gets released into the public it takes on a life of its own. he is pleased for the song to go where it is needed". I get the sense that this song is becoming a anthem for Christchurch at this time.

  There's a blood red circle
On the cold dark ground
And the rain is falling down
The church door's thrown open
I can hear the organ's song
But the congregation's gone

My city of ruins
My city of ruins

Now the sweet bells of mercy
Drift through the evening trees
Young men on the corner
Like scattered leaves,
The boarded up windows,
The empty streets
While my brother's down on his knees

My city of ruins
My city of ruins

Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!

Now there's tears on the pillow
Darlin' where we slept
And you took my heart when you left
Without your sweet kiss
My soul is lost, my friend
Tell me how do I begin again?

My city's in ruins
My city's in ruins

Now with these hands,
With these hands, With these hands,
With these hands, I pray Lord
With these hands, With these hands,
I pray for the strength Lord
With these hands, With these hands,
I pray for the faith, Lord
With these hands, With these hands,
I pray for your love, Lord
With these hands, With these hands,
I pray for the strength, Lord
With these hands, With these hands,
I pray for your love, Lord
With these hands, With these hands,
I pray for your faith, Lord
With these hands, With these hands,
I pray for the strength, Lord
With these hands, With these hands


Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up