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My Name Is Palestine

 

I was in Banksy’s Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem where there is a gallery for Palestinian artists, and saw a painting by the superb Palestinian artist Suleiman Mansour.  I found the painting so powerful, I said that I would like to put together a song sparked off by this painting – I thought it could be a 12” vinyl single with the painting on the front cover.  I told my good friend Wisam Salsaa, Manager of the Walled Off Hotel, and he phoned Suleiman for his permission, which was kindly given. I then wrote to various Palestinian friends showing them the painting, and asked them for their thoughts.  Those thoughts I have reflected in the lyrics.  It all came together as this song, My Name is Palestine.
I would like to thank those people who responded to me about what the content should be – they are: Naim Ateek, Mitri Raheb, Abdelfattah A Abusrour, Usama Nicola, Zoughbi Zoughbi, Susan Bahroum, and Rasha Salsaa – and special thanks to Wisam for all his help on this project.  And of course special thanks also to Suleiman Mansour for allowing me to use his beautiful and striking painting – very grateful thanks.
The Palestinian Nakba, or Catastrophe, has gone on and on for years, with Palestinians treated always as of lesser value and as if they don’t matter.  This project is to assert the equality of all people and is a call for justice to come to this community who have suffered so much racism.
Garth Hewitt

Read more…

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May we never be silent

O God, just and loving,
May we find a way to speak up
for those who are being brutalised,
ignored or forgotten.
May we be those who speak up for refugees,
May we be those who speak up for the oppressed in Palestine
May we bring support where we can and may we never be silent.

Love is never silent and justice is never silent –
May we find ways to speak up
Especially when our sisters and brothers are asking for our solidarity –

with our voices telling the story.
May we echo the Palestinian Christian “Cry for hope”
And stand against injustice and apartheid –
And stand against the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
May we show the love and justice of Jesus
And find ways for our voices to tell the story.

And may the God who dances in creation
Who embraces us with human love
Who shakes our lives like thunder
Bless us and drive us out with power
To fill the world with her justice.

 

The final paragraph is a blessing from St Hilda’s Community

 

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A song and a prayer for Easter

Song for Easter

Jesus of the Scars

 

If we have never sought, we seek you now;

Your eyes burn through the dark our only stars;

We must have sight of thorn-marks on your brow,

We must have you, O Jesus of the scars.

 

The heavens frighten us, they are too calm;

In all the universe we have no place

Our wounds are hurting us; where is the balm?

Lord Jesus, by your scars we know your grace

 

O Jesus of the scars we seek you now

O Jesus of the scars we seek you now

We must have sight of the thorn-marks on your brow

We must have you, O Jesus of the scars

 

The other gods were strong but you were weak;

They rode, but you did stumble to a throne;

But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,

And not a god has wounds but you alone.

 

music by Garth Hewitt

poem by Edward Shillito, written at the end of the First World War

 

Prayer for Easter

 

O God, whether in India, Greece or Bethlehem

Or anywhere else in our global village

Lead us through the wilderness of worry, despair,

Illness, sorrow and suffering

And lead our wounded world to the resurrection of hope.

May we all learn from this world wide virus

That we are all in this together.

So no more violence and war,

No more greed and selfishness –

It is time to support one another

And genuinely love our neighbour as ourself.

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Let Nothing Disturb You

 

Garth tells the background to the song:

“‘Let Nothing Disturb You’ was inspired by some words of Teresa of Avila, also known as St Teresa of Jesus (1515 – 1582). She was a Prioress and Carmelite nun, a central figure in a movement of spiritual and monastic renewal.

And she wrote these words as a poem, translated here:

All things are passing

God alone never changes

Patience gains all things

If you have God

You will want for nothing

God alone suffices

 

These words were taken by musicians at Taizé and turned into a short four line song – suitable for times of worship, and the song is repeated again and again. Taizé music is beautiful and very suitable for Lent. I heard the Taizé song from friend and guitarist Dave Perry who played it to a group of us one evening – Dave was the guitarist on my new album My Name Is Palestine, which includes this song.

I liked this chorus, and thought that for a song on an album it needed a bit more progression so I wrote three other verses and then a chorus section. The words are picking up on the original theme of Teresa and also Taizé, where again the song is normally sung in Spanish so I end the song with the Spanish words “Nada te turbé”. Read more…

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Prayer for the New Year

Everloving God it is a new year full of new opportunities

As we ask forgiveness for the past

And make resolutions for the future

May we show your love and live your way

 

May we take time to pause and draw strength

And let our souls catch up

And be refreshed regularly through this year

May we show your love and live your way

 

May we remember the poor and the forgotten

The marginalized and the weak

And find ways to show your compassion

May we show your love and live your way

 

May the healing hope of the gospel be integral to our lives

So that the ways of justice and peace are reflected in us

May we show your love and live your way

 

May we take time to see the beauty of your world –

To see the beauty of trees, flowers, birds and animals –

To cherish them and work for the sustaining of our garden home –

So that we leave it in a good state for generations to come

May we show your love and live your way

 

May our hearts be refreshed by joy, music, creativity, love and hope

So we in turn can bring hope and joy to others.

Throughout this year may we show your love

and live your way.

 

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© Garth Hewitt

for permission to copy 

please contact GHF

 

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