When the picture haunts my mind

Of a starving child who dies,

When my silence is disturbed

By the mother’s plaintive cries

How dear God shall I respond

To the tears that flood my eyes?

“Justice, justice, justice, now!”

All the unheard victims cry.

 

Shall I feast on gentle thoughts

And pretend that all is well?

Shall I turn a blinded eye

To the terrors of Earth’s hell?

Shall I let some other folks

Ring the peace and justice bell?

“Justice, justice, justice, now!”

All the unheard victims cry.

 

Help me God to see behind

Every smiling mask of greed

To the people they exploit

And refuse to house or feed

Till the justice fires within

Form the voices which I heed.

“Justice, justice, justice, now!”

All the unheard victims cry.

 

For the victims who now lie

At the cliff’s unyielding base

We donate some meager aid

To protect us from disgrace,

But we need a cliff-top fence

Made to save the human race.

“Justice, justice, justice, now!”

All the unheard victims cry.

 

Every system has its flaws,

Ways it fails to build that fence

Limiting the human greed

Thriving at the poor’s expense,

Ways the Market rules their lives

Minus love or common sense.

“Justice, justice, justice, now!”

All the unheard victims cry.

 

God of justice, beauty, love

May we join with all whose aim

Seeks control of Market power

Through compassion’s strength to tame

Till simplicity and grace

Form the message we proclaim.

“Justice, justice, justice, now!”

Rings our passionate refrain!

 

Alternative Tune: ST GEORGE’S WINDSOR

 Text and Music © William Livingstone Wallace.

Click here to see the unison score:  Wallace.When the picture haunts my mind (Unison)

Click here to see the SATB score:  Wallace.When the picture haunts my mind (SATB)

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