God Gave Me a Word

I was talking with God the other day, ‘cause we’re cool like that.
And God said “Hey, I want you to tell people something.”
And I was kinda busy, so I pretended like I didn't hear.
And God poked me and said, “I’m not kidding. Pay attention,”
(‘cause while we’re cool, we aren’t that cool
And I know when I have pushed it way too far.)
So I put down my coffee cup and I turned around.

And God said, “Let me hang a Word around your neck, so that Everyone can see it. And you better speak it when you’re out, ‘cause I’ll know if you don’t.
And it will be heavy,
So heavy,
On your soul.”

And a Word was hung around my neck to take out to the people standing in the streets.
A Word was preached into my ear and laid into my mouth and burned into my Heart until all I could see was the shape of the Word and the Word was all.
And the Word was Love.

And God said “Now get out because
You don’t have all day, and that Word is gonna get heavier.
And you got some work yet to do.

So I’m taking my Word out into the world.

Love came down on this green earth.
Love came down and turned over the tables and set the world on its end
Love made it clear that it was the Word for the poor and the broken hearted. For the queer boi and the angry girl.
Love was the Word for late night hookers and the long haul truckers, for the
heroin junkie and the runaway cutters.

Love was the Word for all of the screwed up and pushed over and too tired and I can’t take no more.
Love was the Word for the HIV patient and the man with no papers.
Love was the Word for me and for you, for the saints and the sinners and the scramblers in between.

Love came down and made a way
for there to be a way
and then
Love said “We are never going back.”

(he who has ears let him hear)

Love said we are all a part of something bigger and if you cannot rise with us, if you
cannot Love with us
then you should get the Hell out of the way because
We aren’t going anywhere and you
are in the path.

(he who has ears let him hear)

Love came down for the World to know and
I'm holding out this Word so
even when you and God are just like that you can’t pretend you didn't know.

I cannot put it down.

Not for a politician spewing hatred.
Not for a minister vomiting out bile in the costume of a saint.
Not for money or for country or for kin.

I'm holding my Word in my mouth
‘Cause the next time I see God I wanna be able to say “You gave me a Word and I carried it just the way you asked.”

You gave it to me and I took it.
I showed it to everyone I met.

You gave it to me and I showed it to her and gher and ze and him.
I showed it to them and they and those over there.

I never put it down.
(I can never put it down).

I was talking with God the other day, ‘cause we’re cool like that.
And God said “Hey, I want you to tell people something.”
And I was still kinda busy, so I pretended like I didn't hear.
And God said, “I’m not kidding. Pay attention,”
(‘cause while we’re cool, we aren’t that cool
And I know when I have pushed it way too far.)
So I put down my coffee cup and I turned around.

And then God gave me a Word.
And now I've given it to you.

Start moving.

Through a dark, blustery sky and ocean, a faint rainbow gleams.
the letters "l o v e" in neon letters against a dark wall