As a child of the 60s and especially 70s, songs like Pete Seeger’s Turn, Turn, Turn and particularly the Byrds’ classic interpretation of it are indelibly etched deep in the memory banks. Based closely on verses from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 in the Bible, they speak to the times, that everything has a season.
Of course I type this during an ever-lingering pandemic season. Victoria has just recorded a record 725 COVID-19 cases, Queensland is about to close its borders to New South Wales and the ACT. What “under heaven” is this world coming to?
More than once during this season I’ve mused how this is a God-given time in birthing a new normal; to come together across the political, cultural, racial, religious and philosophical or religious divides. Yes, come together.
So many of my songs somehow use that word – together. No apologies … when I read St Paul writing in 2 Corinthians 5 of the call to be reconcilers with one another, thanks to Christ making that possible … I just can’t escape that word: together. We simply mustn’t.
Today I was musing about all of this; the song of course, but particularly that line for Ecclesiastes 3: a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together.
That really struck me. Humanly speaking, that’s what the world needs. We need to be on about gathering stones together … building on … building up each other. My stone touching yours and yours mine. No time for throwing stones or prejudice or exclusion or oppressive practices or just plain ignorance at another.
So Gathering Stones Together was birthed. I’ve stayed close to the Biblical text, rearranging text here and there for purposes of rhyme and emphasis … all the way reiterating that it’s surely time in this new world, this new, strange season to gather stones … stones smooth, rough big, small, bright, dark together.
The Kingdom of God and the love Jesus offers all and calls from us all demands nothing less.
Time for everything
Time for everything
Time for everything under heaven
Time for birth, for dying
Time for laughing, crying
Time for gathering stones together
Wo-oh-oh
Time for gathering stones togetherTime for love’s embrace
Time for love’s embrace
Time for everything under heaven
Time for breaking down
Time for building up,
Time for gathering stones together
Wo-oh-oh
Time for gathering stones togetherTime to plant, to reap
To discard, to keep
Time for everything under heaven
Time to tear, to sow
Time to gather, throw
Time for gathering stones together
Wo-oh-oh
Time for gathering stones togetherBridge
Time to come together, wo-oh-oh (x3)
Time for gathering stones together …Time for war, for peace
Time to dance, to weep
Time for everything under heaven
Time to lose, to seek
Time for silence, speak.
Time for gathering stones together
Wo-oh-oh
Time for gathering stones together
Wo-oh-oh
Time for gathering stones together.David MacGregor
© 2020 Willow Publishing
from Ecclesiastes 3
Shalom,
David