You’ve heard it said before -”everybody needs good neighbours”.

I remember as a student I had so much time on my hands I would sometimes watch my favourite Australian soap opera twice a day. So affectionate towards the happenings on Ramsey Street I once visited the set in Melbourne amidst unprecedented levels of excitement. This song isn’t about that though...

When telling the story of The Good Samaritan, Jesus asked the question of who is a good neighbour. We instinctively look after ourselves and our family, and feel outraged when people with our ethnicity and world-view are mistreated. But do we care as much about the mistreatment or neglect of those who aren’t in our immediate eye-line or people who don’t share our colour and creed? Sensationalised news coverage has dulled down many of our senses on one side whilst politically motivated propaganda doesn’t tell the story of the real suffering people are experiencing in other parts of the world. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the needs of the world but it’s essential to keep meeting them.

I wrote the song from the perspective of the victim, the orphan and the foreigner. It is an appeal from the heart of God to our hearts. It’s not a cheery sing-a-long, it’s meant to be a sobering reality-check. Jesus implies in Matthew 25 that when we welcome these people in their brokenness and differentness, we welcome Him.

I was initially in two-minds as to whether to share the song. It was one of the earliest songs I wrote on the Homegrown journey and a friend whose judgement I trust said the song didn’t feel finished… I totally understood what he meant. On reflection and after listening to Krish Kandiah speak at my church about the work of Home For Good in the area of adoption and fostering, I felt this might be a timely encouragement for those who hear the song and more importantly, the invitation it brings.

Worship songs don’t have to be catchy, commercial or singable… though these things definitely do help. If a song points people to Jesus and enables them to connect with Him, they are worth singing and sharing.

Andy Baker, Chief Enthusiast, Homegrown Worship