Marvin is an inspiration

Marvin Gaye's What's going on? is one of my favourite albums of all time. It is so topical for now... with all the nonsense going on in the world. Its on my shuffle and on my iPod for times when it is just necessary!

Sure Marvin had problems but so do we all... We all have our troubles... and I just love how he records his hopes and fears onto an amazing album that still stands strong today... 30 odd years later.

Been thinking about the songs where Marvin is in a church frame of mind. Take God is Love ::

Oh don't go and talk about my father
God is my friend
Jesus is my friend
He made this world for us to live in, and gave us everything
And all he asks of us is we give each other love.
Oh ya
Don't go and talk about my father
Cause God is my friend
Jesus is my friend
He loves us whether or not we know it
Just loves us, oh ya
And He'll forgive all our sins
Forgive all our sins
And all He asks of us, is we give each other love.
Oh ya
Love your mother, she bore you
Love your father, he works for you
Love your sister, she's good to you
Love your brother, your brother
Don't go and talk about my father, He's good to us,
God is my friend
Jesus is my friend
For when we call in Him for mercy, Mercy Father
He'll be merciful, my friend
Oh, yes He will
All he asks of us, I know, is we give each other love,
Oh ya

C'mon now everyone... say Oh ya!

There is just so much truth in these words... especially when you consider ::

Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. The law code-don't sleep with another person's spouse, don't take someone's life, don't take what isn't yours, don't always be wanting what you don't have, and any other “don't” you can think of-finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can't go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.

Romans 13: 8-10 (The Message)

Love is the sum total of the law...and is the expression of God's grace. You can't go wrong if you love others...and place them before yourself. Is it all Jesus asks of us? I think love encapsulates all that He expects from us. From that love, everything else falls into place.

Check out Wholy holy too...

Ah, wholy holy
Come together
Wholy holy
People got to come together
And I know with the strength, power and all the feeling
Wholy holy
Wholy holy
Oh Lord, come on get together, one another
Oh Lord
Wholy holy
Wholy holy
Wholy holy we believe in one another
Wholy holy we believe in Jesus
Jesus left a long time ago, said he would return
He left us a book to believe in
In it we've got an awful lot to learn
Oh, wholy holy
Oh Lord
We can conquer hate forever, yes we can
Ah, wholy holy, Oh Lord
We can rock the world's foundation
Yes we can
Better believe it
Wholy holy together and wholy
Holler love across the nation
Oh, oh
Wholy holy
We proclaim love, our salvation
Oooh, ooh...

Again, some tremendous truth in these words. I believe we can conquer hate and rock the world's foundations... I believe we can do this by coming together... with the strength and power that is only found through friendship with Jesus.

I love this song... infact, I would love to call the place I have in my dreams :: together :: it is such a great name for a community space / church.

Next time you listen to the album... give this some thought. It is a very special record because of all the inspiration it gives me. Check it out.

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