Stones to bread, digging spiritually deeper

MJonmindMJonmind Posts: 7,290
edited January 1970 in His Music & (Short) Films
Well here I go again with an unpopular perspective, but I just can't help myself. This line in the We are the World song has been in the back of my mind for ages. I searched everywhere online and everyone says Michael was ignorant and didn't know Scripture, made an honest mistake, or some said it shows his true colours that he's simply speaking from Satan himself. It is said they changed the line for the Olympics because it was too controversial, but seems everyone on line noticed it, so I think it was intentional so that people would take a closer look. Michael is a perfectionist. He once said, he meant what he sang and only sang it if he meant it. Now the theme of this song obviously has nothing to do with temptation as most people associate that line with the temptation of Christ where the devil says Jesus should turn stones to bread to show He is truly the Messiah, but of course Jesus declares to him, Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Seems like a simple shut and closed case right, an ignorant mistake. Everyone put Michael down, not one positive comment saying Michael may have meant something else that noone has taken the time to understand. Know what is meant when they say people see everything through certain filters and they need to take the filters off sometimes. He is a extraordinary man needs extraordinary analysis.

My take is I simply looked up the words stone and bread in Wikopedia.

Stone - equals rock - a naturally occurring aggregate of minerals.

Bread - a staple food of ...flour, water and possibly other ingredients, ... commonly understood to mean necessities in general.

God who most would agree the Creator of the Universe, has shown us something as in a point or a fact, by doing an action of change from one form to another form, as an example of what we as the children of the world can do as well, change lifeless such as money, racial opinions to something alive such as food, love, homes, water, accepting people of every skin color.

Now deeper than that is that in the Bible Christ himself is refered to by both of those things, Living Stones and Living Bread. We as God's children, his crowning creation, are also refered to living stones that make up the temple of Christ. It gets complicated and requires much further study. It may also be a suble inclusion of Michael's claim that God has changed his ordinary humanity to something as food or necessity for all mankind. He senses a calling that he is to bring all the nations together, to heal the world. In "Cry" the back-up voices sing, "You're the chosen one." I've put below the song, and Scripture passages for refering to Christ as both stones and bread. I guess I'm not expecting much response, but this is my passion, my little contribution. I feel it needs closer examining. I know there are people out there who are so much better at cross-examination, background knowledge base, making videos, and that's beyond me. Sure wish others would tackle this with their gifts. I put a lot of weight on MJ's words and trust him. Thanks for listening.

"We Are the World"

There comes a time
When we head a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all

We can't go on
Pretending day by day
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change
We are all a part of
God's great big family
And the truth, you know love is all we need

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

Send them your heart
So they'll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us by turning stone to bread
So we all must lend a helping hand

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

When you're down and out
There seems no hope at all
But if you just believe
There's no way we can fall
Well, well, well, well, let us realize
That a change will only come
When we stand together as one

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

1 Peter 2:2-8 (New International Version)
2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For in Scripture it says:
"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame."[a] 7Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
"The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone,"[c] 8and,
"A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall."[d] They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

John 6:30-58 (New International Version)
30So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'[a]"
32Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
34"Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."
35Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
41At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." 42They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?"
43"Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. 44"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
52Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
53Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."

Comments

  • SarahliSarahli Posts: 4,265
    "As God has shown us by turning stone to bread "

    Indeed maybe that Michael was not referring to the Bible but is rather saying that God has shown us how to make good from a situation who seems hopeless.

    I am not familiar with the Bible and I didn't know this story but temptation has nothing to do with the meaning of the song. Plus I am sure that Michael knows the Bible very well it can't be a mistake or misinterpretation.

    Bread can also be a metaphor for love or nourishment of the soul. Because as our bodies need to be nourished so do our souls and this food for the soul is Faith in God, prayers, love for each other...

    A stone even if it's a mineral seems cold, hard and inert at first sight so it can be a metaphor for desperation, sadness and opposition to change.

    Well now I'm not sure about what Michael really means in deep, all I know is that he believes in God.
  • RKRK Posts: 3,019
    nice thoughts, MJonmind
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