"We Are The World, We Are the Children.."

"We are the world, we are the children,” are lyrics to the famous song, We are the World written jointly by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie to raise money to help victims of famine in Ethiopia in 1985. February 2005 marked the 20th Anniversary of the song, famous in the recording industry because it had been agreed that there would be no artist or agent fees and no manager percentages in the money made from the project.  The whole project around the song was considered  “a labor of the heart and spirit” because all royalties were to go to help alleviate hunger in Africa,.

A lot of big names in music collaborated on the project.  It brought together Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, Bruce Springsteen, Dionne Warwick, Billy Joel, Lionel Ritchie, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Cyndi Lauper and other "greats"as “USA, for Africa,” which stood for United Support of Artists for Africa, (not "United States of America" for Africa... as some have thought or been lead to believe.)

The single, "We Are The World" with it's message of  "hope," alone sold 7.5 million copies in the USA,  800,000 the first week! It is estimated that 64 million dollars was raised to help Africa's famine victims by the artistic endeavor, with a portion of the funds going to help hungry and homeless people in America as well.

If you had the song in your record collection,  you could be spiritually enlightened as the singers all sing their hearts out about God.  You might think these people were all Christians as you listened to Tina Turner singing the lyrics, “We are all part of God’s great big family, And the truth, you know love is all we need ” Kenny Rogers singing biblical jargon like , “As God as shown us by turning stones to bread….” and Huey Lewis singing, “If you just believe, there’s no way we can fall....well, let us realize that a change will only come
When we stand together as one.. ”  At the end of the song, all your favorite singing stars would join in for the chorus, and sing, “We are the world…. We are the children...There’s a choice we’re making, we’re saving our own lives.... it’s true.....we’ll make a better day.... just you and me.”

Yep, "just you and me."  (WHOA...what happened to the God part?)  One minute we are singing about "God"  and miracles and even about faith and "believing," and the next...we are singing about makeing a choice, a deliberate "choice;" "saving our own lives," and making the world better... just you and me. 

It is a wonderful thing to give money to the poor and needy, as these famous and very wealthy singing stars did, and singing about God and about being children is beautiful sounding too, but much like the "USA for Africa" the lyrics of the song are hollow and dissonant, empty, of what a casual observer might think that they mean. 


First there is the issue of "God showing" us by turning stones to bread. Ask yourself, "Which God did that?" 
Is it possible Kenny Rogers is referring to Jesus? Wasn't it Jesus, God, who turned the stones to bread?

Wait a minute, there is a mistake here.  Something is dissonant   In the Bible Jesus was tempted by Satan to turn stones to bread, (and this to satisfy his own hunger,) but Jesus refused. (Matthew 4: 3-4) In fact, Jesus’ response to Satan was that “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”  Could it be that no one, not the songwriter or one of the singers or musicians in the orchestra or band, or anyone in the recording studio, or even perhaps Kenny himeslf recognized this dissonance?  ( That is, IF he is referring to "God" and thus subsequently, Jesus.)  Is there another God he might be singing about that did something like this?

 And while they are busy singing "we are the world, we are the children," let us consider that Jesus, (again, IF Jesus is the “God” the lyrics to the song makes, or tries to make reference to,) actually told his disciples that they were not of “the world.” (John 15:18-21; John 17: 14-18)

The song, We are the World, also became somewhat of an anthem for a 1986 project to raise money for hunger awareness in America called Hands Across America. On May 25th of that year, another group of stars, got together to help the needy.  This time it was President Ronald Regan, Brooke Sheilds, Oprah Winfrey, Billy Graham, Mickey Mouse, the Hells Angles, (who by the way were holding hands with nuns in Pittsburgh,) Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barbara Striesand, Robin Williams, some SCUBA divers in Maryland, Prince, Jerry Seinfield, and about five million other people from California to New York, held hands for fifteen minutes in a line that stretched 4, 152 miles across the United States. Even Shamu the killer whale in Ohio’s Sea world is said to have lent "a fin" to the project. Participants paid ten dollars each to reserve a space in line, with the proceeds going to help their local homeless and hungry charities.  This event participation level was not as high as expected and sections of the line were vacant of human bodies, but connected by red or blue ribbon instead of people holding hands.  In the course of human history, it was a remarkable event.

Even companies like the Coca-Cola Company and Citibank were happy to help fund the project.  They gave millions of dollars, 5 million and 3 million respectively.  What an incredible tax break, not to mention publicity.  Now the next time we find ourselves going hungry, we know we will get help from these huge corporations that have such care and concern for the world!

"... Well, Send them your heart
so they'll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free.
As God has shown us by turning stone to bread
And so we all must lend a helping hand.
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we make a better day
Just you and me.."  (Lyrics by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richey)