If it be your will

by Michael Winters

Artist Enrique Martínez Celaya recently shared the song “If it be your will” by Leonard Cohen. Though released on Cohen’s 1984 album Various Positions, it’s a timely song today, a fitting prayer for those of us trying to learn when to speak up and when to keep silent.

If it be your will
That I speak no more
And my voice be still
As it was before
I will speak no more
I shall abide until
I am spoken for
If it be your will
If it be your will
That a voice be true
From this broken hill
I will sing to you
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing

From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing

If it be your will
If there is a choice
Let the rivers fill
Let the hills rejoice
Let your mercy spill
On all these burning hearts in hell
If it be your will
To make us well

And draw us near
And bind us tight
All your children here
In their rags of light
In our rags of light
All dressed to kill
And end this night
If it be your will

If it be your will

And since we’ve mentioned Enrique Martínez Celaya, here below is a time-lapse video of his painting, The Prophet (2018). It’s amazing to see it change over time.