Happy Halloween and final day of the One Out October challenge!

It’s been a fun, long, up-and-down journey but we made it.

And to celebrate the end of the road I’m giving you not one but TWO songs in TWO different formats, you cool ghouls!

At the beginning of this project I had a dream of doing an actual music video to the first song I’m going to share with you, The Devil Wants Waste.

But it turns out 3 weeks is kind of a short turn around for a music video project, especially when you’ll be in another state for 2 of those weeks. Who knew!?

(Maybe “One Out October, 2019?”)

Instead, I decided to share the first song in its recorded state, from my album “Skeleton Bones.” It’s always been one of my favorite recordings, and I think you’ll like it.

It’s a spooky, fun, Haunted-Mansion-at-Disneyland style tune about how the devil wants you to be mediocre so that you never accomplish anything good. Enjoy!

 Now that we’ve got that jaunty tune in our hearts, let’s get down to serious business.

It’s Halloween. And that means frights, costumes, and going door to door.

And what could be more terrifying than our current government—power hungry oligarchs in Christian sheep clothing, systematically going from house to house on Fox News, attempting to make us hate each other and ignore the needs of others?

Stay with me. I’ll be serious now.

Did you ever see that photo of the Syrian boy below? Who was found under a pile of rubble in Aleppo, and was so traumatized he couldn’t even cry?

There’s a video taken of him, where he absently rubs his face, and then stares down at the blood on his hand, not even knowing what to do with himself. It makes me want to sob, thinking about it. This is the face of what our President says is the enemy. This tiny body is one our government is refusing to aid and protect.

Or what about the picture of the child, face down and dead in the sand, whose family risked everything and fled persecution to come by boat to the US, only to be denied safe passage here?

Or the images of children being ripped from their mother’s arms and detained by ICE?

Or neighborhoods being decimated by floods, as gigantic church doors stand closed?

Or news stories about the current migrant caravan seeking asylum from violence in our country and being met with hatred and fear?

Or trans children being screamed at by adults about being “abominations”?

Or black men being gunned down in their own homes, and their murderers walking free?

Are we immune to these stories, these real-life horrors happening to our brothers and sisters?

Are we only going to hear and ignore the fearful and hateful rhetoric that our leaders are telling us?

Are we going to continue to turn away, claim we’re “not political,” stick our heads in the sand, live comfortably on the ease of our own safety and freedom, and not do everything in our power to stand for the equality of ALL human life–as our constitution demands us to?

Not to explain why you can’t help.

Not to judge if help is deserved.

Not to withhold help because someone doesn’t share your political or religious beliefs (and don’t even get me STARTED about making your sole issue to protect unborn life when you won’t even protect and support the lives that are already here).

Our job is to meet our fear, our pride, and our prejudice with cowardice banned from our hearts—to see it all, the messy and complicated power of our privilege—and to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Now.

Last Saturday morning an angry white man, mobilized by a false claim spread by our President that the migrant caravan was funded by the Jewish community, went into the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where members of the community were holding a bris–a celebration of life.

There he used several semi-automatic weapons to murder 11 people, screaming anti-Semitic words.

And in a community devastated by pointless violence and devastating hate, who were the helpers?

Was it our President, who said: “If there was an armed guard inside the temple, they would have been able to stop him”?

Was it conservative Christian leaders, who hemmed and hawed about how the killer was probably mentally unstable? 

No, it was members of the Muslim community, who raised over $200 thousand dollars in 4 days for the victims of the shooting.

“Here I am Lord, send me,” they said. And they went. 

We are at a time in our country where we can’t ignore the truth anymore: The helpers are helping, and those who are not choosing to actively help others with their daily lives, political positions, and financial means should no longer be allowed to stand in power.

Look for the helpers, those are our people. Those are our teachers and guides.

Anyone else—anyone who tries to convince you another human is less than and distract you from the purpose of helping someone in need— is using words of the devil, wanting waste of your good heart.

Don’t let that happen. 

This song is for anyone, but especially my brothers and sisters who proclaim to serve a God of mercy, love, and justice. Let’s be his hands and feet. NOW.