What IF God Was "One Of Us"?
by Ariel DeAngelis
I didn’t always like this song “One of Us”, by Joan Osborne … I dunno, I guess when I first heard it, I didn’t really understand in what context she meant the lyrics. And then about 12 or 13 years ago I heard it again, and it was like I’d just heard it for the first time. The words made perfect sense to me. Coincidentally, this was right around the same time I was playing with the idea that “God” is not only IN all of us, but IS all of us. I really related to what was being said in the song too… how many times had I found myself feeling this way? Lots of times, just as I’m certain that most of us have felt; all alone, misunderstood, overlooked… and all because we believed enough in ourselves to come into this world, even when no one else believed in us. And here we are…
What IF God was one of us? I think we’d still be too busy being critical of each other for what we believe to even notice. And “God” gets pushed to the sidelines once again, all alone, by him/herself, an outsider, criticized and ridiculed for believing in his/herself.
This song made me cry when I heard it again “for the first time” because it made me realize what it would be like to BE “God” in a world where nobody really cares about that kind of thing. Yeah, sure, my view of “God” in general has changed, but not the feeling that embodies it. Love… of course… what else would it be?
Let’s be kind to one another, okay? After all we ARE ALL “God”… together our collective Life Force… that’s what we are. Have you ever considered each person you come across – what if they WERE “God” so to speak? How would you treat him/her if you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that that were the case? If we all treated each other that way, what a different world this would be.
“Love each other as I have Loved you…” That one just makes so much sense to me, because we ARE "you"…
"One Of Us"
by Joan Osborne
[Intro:]
So one of these nights and about twelve o'clock
This old world's going to reel and rock
Saints will tremble and cry for pain
For the Lord's gonna come in his heavenly airplane
If God had a name, what would it be?
And would you call it to his face,
If you were faced with Him in all His glory?
What would you ask if you had just one question?
And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us?
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make His way home?
If God had a face, what would it look like?
And would you want to see
If seeing meant that you would have to believe
In things like Heaven and in Jesus and the saints
And all the prophets? And...
Yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make His way home?
(Just?) tryin' to make His way home
Back up to Heaven all alone
Nobody callin' on the phone
'Cept for the Pope, maybe, in Rome
Yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make His way home?
Just tryin' to make His way home
Like a holy rolling stone
Back up to Heaven all alone
Just tryin' to make His way home
Nobody callin' on the phone
'Cept for the Pope, maybe, in Rome
