The Peru Gazette

The song “Prayer of the Children” is in your editor’s opinion the most poignant songs sung by the Keeseville-Peru Ecumenical Choir. Composed by Kurt Bestor, it relates his reaction to the ethnic cleansing and civil war in Yugoslavia in the 1990’s.  Having once lived in that war-torn country he was concerned about the country’s children.   Unfortunately millions of other children are suffering the same fate during this Christmas Season. The choir sings the song a cappella and without sheet music.  Click here to hear and see the choir’s emotional rendering of this song. 

Here are the song lyrics:

Can you hear the prayer of the children?
On bended knee, in the shadow of an unknown room
Empty eyes with no more tears to cry
Turning heavenward toward the light

Crying Jesus*, help me
To see the morning light-of one more day
But if I should die before I wake,
I pray my soul to take

Can you feel the hearts of the children?
Aching for home, for something of their very own
Reaching hands, with nothing to hold on to,
But hope for a better day a better day

Crying Jesus*, help me
To feel the love again in my own land
But if unknown roads lead away from home,
Give me loving arms, away from harm

Can you hear the voice of the children?
Softly pleading for silence in a shattered world?
Angry guns preach a gospel full of hate,
Blood of the innocent on their hands

Crying Jesus*, help me
To feel the sun again upon my face,
For when darkness clears I know you’re near,
Bringing peace again