4th century BC
Plato
- Idealism — forms over particulars
- The Republic ethic: “God is not the author of evil”
Lyrics
[Intro - Male]
Before I saw it
You had seen
Before I felt it
You had known
[Verse 1 - Male]
You saw the grief before I did
You felt the wound before I knew
You held the broken thing in silence
While I figured what to do
You prayed the prayers I never prayed
You wept the tears I couldn't show
You carried every child I missed
And taught my hand to be slow
[Pre-Chorus - Both, harmony]
This is not the lesser gift
This is the stronger part
The Lord who wept for Lazarus
Made the tenderness your heart
[Chorus - Both, harmony]
Thank God for the women
Thank God for the hands that hold
Thank God for the quiet mercy
That keeps the body whole
Thank God for the tenderness
The love that sees us through
Thank God for the gift He gave us
When He gave us you
[Verse 2 - Female]
I have been the one who noticed
I have been the one who knelt
I have held the trembling sister
When the weight was what I felt
I have prayed behind the curtains
I have poured the cup of hope
I have watched my brothers argue
While I made the broken cope
[Pre-Chorus - Both, harmony]
This is not the lesser gift
This is the stronger part
The Lord who washed the feet of men
Made the tenderness your heart
[Chorus - Both, harmony]
Thank God for the women
Thank God for the hands that hold
Thank God for the quiet mercy
That keeps the body whole
Thank God for the tenderness
The love that sees us through
Thank God for the gift He gave us
When He gave us you
[Bridge - call and response]
(Male) Christ wept at the tomb of Lazarus
(Female) Christ cooked breakfast on the shore
(Male) Christ washed the feet of men who failed Him
(Female) Tender was the Lord
(Both, rising)
Tender was the Lord
Tender was the Lord
He made you in the image
Of the love that bore it all
[Final Chorus - Both, soaring harmony]
Thank God for the women
Thank God for the hands that hold
Thank God for the quiet mercy
That keeps the body whole
Thank God for the tenderness
The love that sees us through
Thank God for the gift He gave us
When He gave us you
[Outro - Both]
Tender and strong
Tender and strong
Thank God for the women
Tender and strong
Commentary