Stand by Me

Playing for Change: Song Around the World “Stand by Me”
I found this version of Stand by Me on Raspberry Rabbit last week and have wanted to share it ever since, if only for an excuse to listen to it again. I absolutely love it for its brilliant musicianship.

Stand by Me, is one of my favourite songs, and it speaks to what I wrote about yesterday: We all need someone to stand with us, to be "for" us at some time or another. Lean on Me, another of my favourite songs has a similar them.

"Standing with," somebody takes courage. Often it involves some risk. It might be inconvenient and involve sacrifice. It might take us out of our comfort zone.

I look around at my friends and count myself very blessed. All of them are the kind of people who would stand with someone and have the courage to go against the flow. It is one of the things that I love about them and I include my dear Paul in that group. I don't think there is a conformist in the crowd. They are a passionate bunch with strong ideals, who wouldn't hesitate to overturn an apple cart that needed overturning. I am a quieter sort, who would be more likely to grasp a hand and stand firmly and quietly by some one's side, but staunchly, nevertheless.

It's one of the things that I love about Jesus. I am reading the gospel of Luke at the moment and found Jesus this morning, "standing with" the least popular groups of people in that day, the poor, the lepers, tax collectors and "sinners."

It is interesting that there is a specific category referred to as "sinners." I think it means the people who were thought of as particular sinners by the religious leaders with whom Jesus generally had a relationship of mutual antipathy.

Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. " Matthew 5:3 (New International Version) He cared for those who saw their weakness and need of him. Those who confidently assumed that they were certainly not "sinners" and furthermore didn't need a Saviour, were blind, proud, foolish and almost beyond hope.

I hope that you enjoy the music, and that it makes you look around you to see if someone needs you to stand by them or if there is more that can be done to help. We have such good footsteps to follow.

Luke 5:27-31 (New International Version)
27After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, 28and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
29Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
31Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Much of what you wrote today played into my thoughts about my own current undertaking. Thanks.
Anonymous said…
That really spoke to my soul, thank you for sharing..............God Bless.
Joyful Fox said…
Belinda,

Thanks for standing by me. I really enjoy that song too. When others stand by us at times in our lives, it then equips us to stand by someone else in their time of need too.

Once again, i enjoyed your post.

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