Strange Weapons

The original version of Strange Weapons, which includes the verse about the demonstration in South Africa with Desmond Tutu, and then goes to the story of Good Friday and Easter Sunday

In the sadness of the news from Myanmar the solitary witness of a nun in prayer was a very powerful moment. Seeing this action from Sister Ann (18 Feb 2021) reminded me of something I was trying to say in the song ‘Strange Weapons’. The first verse of Strange Weapons was about a demonstration in Cape Town during apartheid days. The procession as led by faith community leaders including Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Strangely I had been adding a verse to this song on the power of prayer and the first part of this verse very much reflect the example of Sister Ann.

Prayer is an act of defiance
Won’t accept the way things are
Prayer is an act of protest
Won’t accept the way things are
But prayer is an act of hope
Brings a vision of a new day
Of mercy and of peace
And love’s transforming power
He was praying in his solitude
Praying for a new dawn
He was armed with love and dignity
Prayed for justice to be born

The last four lines where it turns to “he” was sparked off by Patriarch Michel Sabbah. His example of prayer for justice for the Palestinians showed a man of love and dignity, speaking out for truth and of course for justice.

The chorus of Strange Weapons says this

Strange weapons of love
Strange weapons of love
But they’re the ones who hold the power
To change the human heart
With their strange weapons of love.

Sister Ann and Patriarch Michel use these strange weapons of love as followers of the one who so distinctively used the strange weapon of non-violence on Palm Sunday and right through holy week. The empire thought it could deal with that with its weapons of violence but God’s affirmation of love and hope came on Easter Sunday morning.