Has anybody here seen my old friend Abraham?
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
He freed a lot of people,
But it seems the good they die young.
You know, I just looked around and he’s gone.
Anybody here seen my old friend John?
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
He freed a lot of people,
But it seems the good they die young.
I just looked around and he’s gone.
Anybody here seen my old friend Martin?
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
He freed a lot of people,
But it seems the good they die young.
I just looked ’round and he’s gone.
Didn’t you love the things that they stood for?
Didn’t they try to find some good for you and me?
And we’ll be free
Some day soon, and it’s a-gonna be one day …
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
I thought I saw him walkin’ up over the hill,
With Abraham, Martin and John.
“Abraham, Martin, and John” by Dick Holler and famously sung by Dion in 1968.
Michael co-pastors The Neighborhood Church in Littleton, Colorado with Eugene Scott. In honor of Martin Luther King Day, he thought he’d share the lyrics to this song with you. Thanks to John Fischer for the idea. You can read his insightful blog here.
Born in Kentucky (Lincoln’s birthplace), and having been a teen/young adult in the 60s, this is a very poignant memory. The “idealism” of America was a very potent force in our lives at that time. Many other brave people have laid their lives “on the line” in support and defense of our liberties and values, and we were quite aware of this as a special part of the American legacy at that time.
So far, this has never meant that America or Americans are “perfect” (maybe unfortunately!), but only Christ is “perfect.” My prayer is that we don’t lose sight of our place in God’s service, or of God’s place in the purpose of our lives.