300 Miles Away

up in Knoxville the Vols are taking the field,

down in Tuscaloosa the Tide begins to roll,

out in Gatlinburg they’re packin em in

for a big Dollywood weekend;

300 miles away people die;

all across the nation plans get underway,

backyard barbecues and trips to the beach,

the supermarket shelves stacked in anticipation,

with more than anybody could possibly eat or drink;

300 miles away people die;

stunned by what they are seeing,

people watch the news and shake their heads,

calling in 50 dollar pledges,

vowing to make a difference;

300 miles away people die;

in Washington, in Jackson, in Baton Rouge,

fingers being pointed as the blame game begins,

all across the nation the great debate rages,

filling the blogs and chat rooms with wisdom and advice

from every self-made expert the internet has to offer;

300 miles away people die;

please wake up America,

we are all to blame, we are all guilty,

we all watched and waited from afar,

while 300 miles away people died,

more than homes and people have disappeared,

more than dreams are shattered,

more than a way of life is gone,

part of a nation has died with them;

now is the time to stop the finger pointing and blame,

now is the time to stop worrying about the pursuit of perpetual pleasure,

now is the time to reach out and love one another as never before,

now is the time to trust in the One who can heal all things,

now is the time for repentance;

please wake up America,

before it is too late.

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