In 1967 Sonny and Cher recorded a song that was a big hit called, “And the Beat Goes On.” There is a line in the song that says this, “Do you ever wonder that to win, somebody’s got to lose?” You know there’s two sides to every coin.
So often we do not consider the other side. They say that there are two sides to every story, just like there is good and evil, right and wrong, black and white, north and south. But when we only consider one side of the story or we only believe that we are right and everyone else is wrong, then we have become so narrow minded that we can not do any good. We open ourselves up for deception. A wise person will look at both sides and determine which is right and which is wrong and even at that you have to have the facts. In the sixties we had one protest after another. It was the Vietnam War, it was Civil Rights, it was Women’s Rights, and Student Rights, Gay Rights and Environmental Rights. Here we are today in the 21st Century and we still are talking about rights. The press covered these protests and well, back then the protests were mainly peaceful, but then they became riots, because that got more press and more press meant more coverage. Wise King Solomon wrote this in Proverbs 11:27, “Whoever looks for good will find kindness, but whoever looks for evil will find trouble.” If nothing changed over the years, then obviously protesting does not work. But things did change. Laws were formed to create civil rights and we see that we elected our first black President with two terms. We have black judges and doctors and lawyers and even black billionaires and millionaires, and teachers and black people in every walk of life. We have gay rights, even the right to marry. Women are now in Congress and the Senate, even Speaker of the House, and Vice President. They are even judges, lawyers, and doctors and billionaires and millionaires. We have put in laws for the environment…you can only change so much of your environment, let’s face it, it’s been working for millions of years. Today, even students have rights and children have rights, unfortunately children in the womb still do not. Police have always been the enemy, because they have to keep law and order. We reward the criminal and punish our protectors.
Solomon also wrote in Proverbs 11:29, “Whoever brings trouble to his family will be left with nothing but the wind. And a foolish person will become a servant to the wise.” This is simply saying that one who brings trouble to his family will not inherit a thing and the foolish person becomes a slave to the wise. You see if you do not consider both sides of the coin, you will lose the coin.
There are six things that God hates as Proverbs 6: 16-19 tells us, “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.” Has anything changed over the years? I’ll tell you, you can go back to Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, even to Sodom and Gamorah and you will find that the beat goes on. Sin is in the world, this includes injustice. Each person has to do what is right and what is right is living by God’s Law. If we each do our part and reach those around us, then the world becomes a better place. There is another song of the 60’s,
by Jackie DeShannon, it goes like this,
Think of your fellow man, lend him a helping hand.
Put a little love in your heart. You see it’s getting late Oh, please don’t hesitate.
Put a little love in your heart. And the world will be a better place for you and me. You just wait and see. … Another day goes by, still the children cry.
Put a little love in your heart.
If you want the world to know we won’t let hatred grow.
Put a little love in your heart. Take a good look around and if you’re looking down
Put a little love in your heart. I hope when you decide kindness will be your guide. Put a little love in your heart. People, now put a little love in your heart
each and every day. Put a little love in your heart.
There’s no other way, put a little love in your heart.
It’s up to you, put a little love in your heart. C’mon and put a little love in your heart. You’ve got to put a little love in your heart.
You see, even the song tells us that each one of us has an obligation to help one another.
God’s Word says this in 1 John 3:16-18, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters. But whoever has worldly goods and sees his brother or sister in need, and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God remain in him? Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”
You see, social justice begins with you and me. It’s not in the government, for they are only mere men and women like you and me. They have their faults like any human being, they are not God. God sees both sides of the coin, like what you sow, you reap. With God everyone wins, when everyone does their part. We all live somewhere, and go to school somewhere, and when we reach out to people around us, building each one up, and not tearing them down, then love wins. Protesting doesn’t help a person who is in need right now. Let’s love those around us, and little by little the world will be won. It’s our responsibility! Let’s keep the beat going on around the world, loving and helping and building up and not tearing down.