This is Joan Osborne's song "One of Us" (1995), and it poses some fascinating philosophical questions about divinity and humanity. Let me break down its meaning simply:
The song essentially asks us to imagine God as an ordinary person - not as an unreachable, mighty being, but as someone who rides the bus with us and faces everyday struggles. This perspective encourages us to think about several key ideas:
Accessibility of God: The song questions how we would relate to God if we met them in a mundane setting, like on a bus. Would we recognize them? Would we treat them differently?
Human Loneliness: The lyrics about God trying to "make his way home" and nobody calling "except for the Pope maybe in Rome" suggest that even divine beings might experience loneliness and isolation.
Faith and Belief: When it asks if we'd "want to see if seeing meant that you would have to believe," it's exploring how direct evidence of God might change our relationship with faith.
Humility: By depicting God as "just a slob like one of us," the song suggests that perhaps divinity exists in ordinary people and everyday moments, not just in grand, glorious displays.
The song's power comes from making us consider how we view both divinity and humanity - perhaps they're not as separate as we might think. It challenges us to consider how we might treat others if we saw the divine in everyone we meet.
The repeated lines about God being "great" and "good" provide an interesting contrast with the more human depiction - suggesting that greatness and divinity might exist in ordinary moments and people, not just in traditional religious imagery.
God WAS one of us. He came to earth as Jesus Christ, His only Son. He was miraculously fully human to totally identify with us, and still fully God, a mystery even mankind's most intelligent minds cannot fathom. Yet, having the faith of a child to believe this is the key to each one's salvation. Jesus came to be the cure for our sin and He paid for our redemption by sacrificing His own life. Then He rose again to show God's power over death, to give us assurance of the eternal life He offers to each...
God WAS one of us. He came to earth as Jesus Christ, His only Son. He was miraculously fully human to totally identify with us, and still fully God, a mystery even mankind's most intelligent minds cannot fathom. Yet, having the faith of a child to believe this is the key to each one's salvation. Jesus came to be the cure for our sin and He paid for our redemption by sacrificing His own life. Then He rose again to show God's power over death, to give us assurance of the eternal life He offers to each of us who repents from sin and believes on Him as Savior. He is eagerly awaiting our decision.
This is Joan Osborne's song "One of Us" (1995), and it poses some fascinating philosophical questions about divinity and humanity. Let me break down its meaning simply:
The song essentially asks us to imagine God as an ordinary person - not as an unreachable, mighty being, but as someone who rides the bus with us and faces everyday struggles. This perspective encourages us to think about several key ideas:
Accessibility of God: The song questions how we would relate to God if we met them in a mundane setting, like on a bus. Would we recognize them? Would we treat them differently?
Human Loneliness: The lyrics about God trying to "make his way home" and nobody calling "except for the Pope maybe in Rome" suggest that even divine beings might experience loneliness and isolation.
Faith and Belief: When it asks if we'd "want to see if seeing meant that you would have to believe," it's exploring how direct evidence of God might change our relationship with faith.
Humility: By depicting God as "just a slob like one of us," the song suggests that perhaps divinity exists in ordinary people and everyday moments, not just in grand, glorious displays.
The song's power comes from making us consider how we view both divinity and humanity - perhaps they're not as separate as we might think. It challenges us to consider how we might treat others if we saw the divine in everyone we meet.
The repeated lines about God being "great" and "good" provide an interesting contrast with the more human depiction - suggesting that greatness and divinity might exist in ordinary moments and people, not just in traditional religious imagery.
God WAS one of us. He came to earth as Jesus Christ, His only Son. He was miraculously fully human to totally identify with us, and still fully God, a mystery even mankind's most intelligent minds cannot fathom. Yet, having the faith of a child to believe this is the key to each one's salvation. Jesus came to be the cure for our sin and He paid for our redemption by sacrificing His own life. Then He rose again to show God's power over death, to give us assurance of the eternal life He offers to each...
God WAS one of us. He came to earth as Jesus Christ, His only Son. He was miraculously fully human to totally identify with us, and still fully God, a mystery even mankind's most intelligent minds cannot fathom. Yet, having the faith of a child to believe this is the key to each one's salvation. Jesus came to be the cure for our sin and He paid for our redemption by sacrificing His own life. Then He rose again to show God's power over death, to give us assurance of the eternal life He offers to each of us who repents from sin and believes on Him as Savior. He is eagerly awaiting our decision.