Independent - A song to heal hating hearts

> Independent

Your email address is safe with us. View our Privacy policy.

The Funnies:

Get free jokes, comics, and more! See them all on
our funnies page

Books:

Read the classics online or by email. More details on the books page

Games:

Fun online games, quizzes, hangman and more on the games page

A song to heal hating hearts

By DIANA DEREGNIER

MILL VALLEY, Calif. May 14 -- On March 6, 2007, Karl Anthony uploaded the video "One Prayer" to YouTube. The daily exponential rise in the number of hits on the site, 55,900 at last glance, elicits awe and delight.

Karl tells me that the song was inspired by thinking that there is a lot of pain in the world. "It is ironic that so many challenges come from our beliefs." Yet, most philosophies have a supreme being the equivalence of God -- Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, Amlak, The One, The Divine and many others. Karl says, "What we have in common is that God belongs to all of us." And each practice has a means of connecting. Karl asked himself, "Why do we pray? Is prayer effective? If so many people have some form of communication with God -- through prayer, meditation, chanting -- why not pray for things that are more difficult?" Thus came the idea to love and pray for our enemies. Through the song Karl portrays praying for our enemies to put attention on something to be healed.

"We see through the lens we're living in," Karl says. Michael Beckwith, the founder of Agape International Spiritual Center and theologian who appears in the DVD "The Secret," tells us, "We can't deny things that are happening in the world. Denying what's happening in the world is denying someone's pain. Bring love to the darkness." Karl's answer is in the lyrics:

One Prayer

(written by Karl Anthony)

If I had one prayer, I'd pray for people who hate

Maybe I'm out of my mind ... or deep in my faith

A man grows old ... when his soul's in pain

Only love can loosen that chain

But if I offer you grace, will it cause any change

And do I appear weak, if I calm my rage

I think of revenge, but will I become

The thing I despise, when a heart goes numb

I'll say a prayer, hoping it finds ... people who hate

I send it now, to heal the hearts ... of people who hate

If only one song ... could silence hate

And end all the war ... before it's too late

If a cold mind ... could begin to feel

Then the fear in our world ... has a chance to heal

I'll say a prayer, knowing it finds ... people who hate

I send it now, to heal the hearts ... of people who hate

... pray for people who hate

All of our thoughts ... can set the stage

For the power of love ... is larger than rage

When we take revenge ... we will all become

The hate we despise ... as our soul goes numb

I have One Prayer ... for the world to hear

It's a cry for mercy ... the last of our tears

Let hate dissolve ... let the past reveal

That love has shown us what is real

Angels above, quiet the pain ... in people who hate

I'm sending One Prayer, to heal the hearts ... in people who hate

One prayer ... Pray!

(May all be loved, may all be blessed, may all feel peace ... pray for people who hate)

I'm sending love to people who hate

I must be out of my mind ... or deep in my faith

Jeanne Anthony, Karl's wife, interprets the video through sign language with sensual moves and the rhythm of a dancer.

Six-year-old Shivani, Karl and Jeanne's goddaughter, is the little girl skipping round the plaza in a traditional red and yellow dress of India. She hands out prayer cards to passers-by and speaks the last stanza of the song. The card has "1P" on one side and "If I had one prayer, it would be for people who hate" on the other. In the producer's video on his website, Shivani also lays a prayer card on a man sleeping on the lawn.

Requests have come to KarlAnthony.com from groups and churches for hundreds of the cards. Some with "If I had one prayer ... " leaving room for filling in your answer will also soon be available.

Among the many accolades, a few viewers of the video have commented that it is so beautiful, why focus on hate? My favorite response comes from mdianemarks, who says, "This doesn't focus on 'hate.' It focuses on LOVE. Give me a break. ... Someone has watched 'The Secret' one time too many!"

-- -- --

Diana deRegnier writes SpiritLinks from the San Francisco Bay Area, emphasizing humor, pathos and encouragement for a vibrant spirit. She is a free-lance writer and editor and webmaster for the nonprofit program Spirit Links Newsletter for spiritual explorers of any or no religious affiliation. You can contact her at spiritlinks@comcast.net (c) copyright 2007 by Diana deRegnier

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 05/14/2007

Share this Story