A Song to Bring Hope in the Midst of Tragedy | Posted May 23, 2013
Suffice it to say, there have been some rough times these past few months. From the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary to the bombing at the Boston Marathon, we've seen the sad and horrific effects of a lack of Christ in our culture, and the devastation levied upon the innocent people caught in this violence.
However, in the midst of all the pain, we've seen heartwarming photos of the good that has shone through. While many of these pictures come in the form of the heroes who stepped forward to lend a helping hand, others come from seeing the glimpses into the lives of the victims. Seeing the snapshots of their lives is a bittersweet experience, but they still can inspire us, even though most of us never knew them and will now never get the chance to this side of heaven.
One such snapshot that has touched the hearts of many is of 8-year-old Martin Richard—the youngest of the three victims killed in the Boston Marathon bombing. After the tragic events, a picture of the boy holding a hand-written sign reading "No More Hurting People" went viral around the web. The boy's message is so simple and yet it seems like so many seem to have such a hard time keeping it. Nevertheless, the hope of that simple message has proved an inspiration for many, including Marc Martel of Downhere fame.
Martel co-wrote a song named after Martin Richard's now-famous wish with longtime Downhere producer Mark Heimermann and recorded it. And now he's sharing it with us. "No More Hurting People" truly is a touching anthem reflecting Martin's message, and Martel's powerful voice adds another layer of earnestness to the song.
The song is packed with meaningful lyrics that resonate in our turbulent times: "A sign for love / a cry for peace / from a city's child / to the grieving streets / with simple phrase / the banner pleas / what heavy hearts want to still believe."The song offers hope that one day, Martin's wish will come true: "The tears will dry / the wounds will heal / we'll always leave with the loss we feel / make no mistake / we'll run again / 'cause the light won't ever let the darkness win."
When Martel sings, "I believe there will someday be no more hurting people," you find yourself believing it. We know we'll never get there without the love of Christ, but perhaps Martin's simple message can remind us that Jesus Himself said that we must become like little children. Maybe it's a childlike naivety to think that such a thing could ever happen, but it never will unless we are willing to do our part to fight against it by reflecting the Light of Christ in everything that we do. And of course, when Jesus restores all things in eternity, there indeed will be no more hurting people.
Marc Martel has done it again and crafted a meaningful song for our time. He's made it available on Noisetrade for donation. One-hundred percent of profits of the song will go to One Fund Boston Inc., which is providing support to those most impacted by the tragic attack at the Boston Marathon. So not only can you get a powerful song, you can donate to a worthy cause through it. It seems like a win-win to me.
Closing Thoughts:
Martel's songwriting ability is always magnificent and this song is no exception. Go pick up this song and give to a worthy cause. It's likely to fly under the radar as just another indie song floating around on Noisetrade but I hope we can help give this song and it's portrayal of Martin's message the exposure it deserves. It's definitely one of the best songs of the year and one well worth checking out, both for it's musical goodness and lyrics that speak to the heart in a time where every week seems to bring more tragedies.
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