“The Songs of 1970.” That headline on a recent Sunday Parade magazine cover caught my eye. Fifty years ago people were protesting the Vietnam War en masse in the streets. There were urban riots. There was racial desegregation busing. The duplicity of the president was evident as he dismantled much of Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. Sound familiar?
Out of all that turmoil in our beloved country came some of the most memorable songs of all time. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel is an excellent example. When waters are troubled and possibly even life-threatening, a bridge provides protection and a way out.
What is that bridge in this iconic song? Nothing less than being a faithful friend, who can “lay themselves down” for the sake of their suffering friends regardless of their color. Or in Jesus’ own words, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
In this turbulent time that tries our souls, each of us can lift up someone else to protect and preserve them. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was released 50 years ago, but I can’t think of any song more relevant and meaningful for all Americans in 2020.
Bridges, not walls.
