Were You There

Were you there when our earth began to cry
Were you there when our earth began to cry
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
I was there when our earth began to cry.

Were you there when our reefs began to die
Were you there when our reefs began to die
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
I was there when our reefs began to die.

Were you there when the seas began to rise
Were you there when the seas began to rise
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
I was there when the seas began to rise.

Were you there when the trees began to fall
Were you there when the trees began to fall
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
I was there when the trees began to fall.

Were you there when pollution filled our skies
Were you there when pollution filled our skies
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
I was there when pollution filled our skies.

I wrote this hymn for 2 reasons. Firstly, I love the spirituality of the tune but the words, as powerful as they are, locked it into a single-use kind of hymn. I wanted to break out of that constraint, and thought a song about the crucifixion of earth would give permission for that. It also enables us to reflect upon the damage we have done and our part in Earth’s crucifixion and resurrection. The original hymn was adapted for use on Cherish Mother Earth Sunday.