116. Rock Goes The Gospel - Magnum "Different Worlds"

In a March 1988 interview with Kerrang! magazine, lead guitarist and songwriter Tony Clarkin said he wrote this song in France, and that it was inspired by a visit to Nice. Somebody lent him a house in the old town, an expensive area; one day when he walked through the market and "literally 20 feet away, there were people laying in doorways." He added: "It was like walking from luxury into a den of thieves. Two worlds living back to back." "Different Worlds" came off the album wings of heaven in 1988. 

On narrow streets old men lie
In the doorway sleeping
While working girls comb their hair
See the young men peeping

Different worlds
Only a walk across the street
Different worlds
You never know what you might meet

No satin sheets on your bed tonight
How you feeling?
While running feet always disappear
From sirens screaming

Different worlds
Only a walk across the street
Different worlds
You never know what you might meet

I said
Some of us take what we want
Some of us take what we need
Some of us break
Some of us bleed

Where velvet gloves and your diamond rings
Lose their meaning
For those we love, if they really care
Keep on dreaming
Dream on

Different worlds
Only a walk across the street
Different worlds
You never know what you might meet

I said
Some of us take what we want
Some of us take what we need
Some of us break
Some of us bleed
Don't want to bleed

Some of us take what we want
Some of us take what we need
Some of us break
Some of us bleed

Different worlds
Only a walk across the street
Different worlds
You never know what you might meet

Some of us take what we want
Some of us take what we need
Some of us break
Some of us bleed

Some of us take
Some of us take, oh, no
Some of us break
Some of us bleed, bleed, bleed
Some of us take
Some of us take

This song is about the divide between rich and poor. The divide between those that have and those that have not. The references to "Velvet gloves and diamond rings" and also the lines "Old mean lie sleeping while working girls comb their hair" Tony Clarkin saw the scene on a visit to Nice. It's not only Nice that this is happening there are other countries that the divide between rich and poor is ever widening. In the UK the gap is widening as well. Today, Britain is a country where one in five people live below the poverty line and life expectancy in some areas is lower than in some developing countries. Yet the rich keep getting richer opening up a massive inequality gap. In fact, the UK is on course to become one of the most unequal countries in the industrialised world. One of the greatest challenges in the UK at the moment is food poverty and there are a number of key organisations that are helping with this. Food poverty is affecting health. Food banks that have been set up in many of the major towns and cities are not meeting the need. Of course, we are drawing into the time when all politicians are saying that they have the answer to Britain's economic needs.

Once elected many politicians are saying that they will reverse the trend. Somehow I'm suspicious and convinced even more that the general British public can see through the schemes and debates of all the major parties. Everyone thinks they have the solution and the solution is often linked with other issues for example welfare and immigration. One thing I am sure of is that the answer to the widening gap in towns, communities and cites in the UK is not as easy as the politicians who are rallying for seats will lead us to believe. We are "Broken Britain" and the politics of the past are not going to be a match to the needs of the present. In the midst of the poverty gap there are a number of wonderful organisations that deserve mention for the work that they are doing in Britain. these organisations are working to meet the needs of ordinary people and change the policies of local and national government. Oxfam, Christian Aid, The Hunger project, Save the Children, BuildOn, Junk food Project, are to name but a few of the excellent organisations that are currently working and recruiting volunteers in the UK to work in areas of deprivation. These are organisations that are working to meet peoples physical needs, there are of course many others that are working to meet peoples health, spiritual, practical, social needs.

There is one occasion that for me stands out in the gospels that Jesus participates in that meets more than just physical needs, but bridges the needs, of mental health, social, physical and community needs and provides for us an example of how food, community, and care can work hand in hand to help in the areas of equality and cohesion. The occasion I am speaking of is the feeding of the five thousand.

Jesus in his day is concerned about the physical needs of the people who are coming to him. This is clear from the passage and Jesus does something to meet some of those physical needs. When John writes this in his gospel he is attempting do do two things. The first thing he is doing is showing that Jesus is not just interested in the spiritual needs of people he is also interested in their physical     well-being and Secondly this illustration fits within John's framework of Jesus being God in the flesh. In other words who can do miracles like this except God himself. We are not going to get too deep into the theology of this here but it does need some bigger reflection. One thing that I would like to say in this devotion is that Jesus is concerned with the physical well-being of people. He is interested and concerned about the increasing gap in economics and the gap that splits the poor from the rich.

He is also interested in the laws and acts that make that gap bigger. Soon we are going to have to face the elections. For some, they will not vote. For those that do they will have the responsibility of voting into power a party that will reduce the poverty gap or widen the poverty gap. I've been praying and asking God what to do. I'm still thinking about that one. The body of Jesus, (The Church) have a responsibility to justice and works of mercy. they also have a responsibility to speak to power and challenge the status quo, so that marginal communities, people and individuals benefit in and from the upcoming elections. It's not just make your vote count, but make your prayer count too.....on behalf of others.  So that the "Different Worlds" sung about in this song by Magnum are firmly on the page for discussion, debate and godly action.