Whenever I listen to the lyrics of “God’s Country,” I think of Israel. This Country Western song was written about America’s heartland but the values are the same. And it makes sense as America’s Constitution is firmly rooted in the teachings of the Hebrew Bible.
Each time I hear it, I think of the extraordinary, young American Cowboys, including Joshua Waller, John Plocher, Ezekiel Strain, Yosef Strain, Luke Hutslar and Samuel Wearp, with their trademark wide-brimmed hats, leather belts with heavy metal buckles, jeans and rugged boots, who came to Israel right after the October 7 barbaric massacre of Israeli men, women and children by Muslims from Gaza. The group of cowboys hail from Bible Belt states in the United States: Montana, Arkansas, Texas and Tennessee: God’s Country.
Volunteer Samuel Wearp, 27, from Texas, explained,
“I felt that it was my own people that this was happening to.”
Here are the lyrics. Blake Shelton melts your heart.
Right outside of this one church town There’s a gold dirt road to a whole lot of nothin’ Got a deed to the land, but it ain’t my ground This is God’s country We pray for rain, and thank Him when it’s fallen ‘Cause it brings a grain and a little bit of money We put it back in the plate I guess that’s why they call it God’s country
I saw the light in the sunrise Sittin’ back in a 40 on the muddy riverside Gettin’ baptized in holy water and ‘shine With the dogs runnin’ Saved by the sound of the been found Dixie whistled in the wind, that’ll get you Heaven bound The Devil went down to Georgia but he didn’t stick around This is God’s country
We turned the dirt and worked until the week’s done We take a break and break bread on Sunday And then do it all again ‘Cause we’re proud to be from God’s country
I saw the light in the sunrise Sittin’ back in a 40 on the muddy riverside Gettin’ baptized in holy water and ‘shine With the dogs runnin’ Saved by the sound of the been found Dixie whistled in the wind, that’ll get you Heaven bound The Devil went down to Georgia but he didn’t stick around This is God’s country
God’s country
I don’t care what my headstone reads Or what kind of pinewood box I end up in When it’s my time, lay me six feet deep In God’s country
I saw the light in the sunrise Sittin’ back in a 40 on the muddy riverside Gettin’ baptized in holy water and ‘shine With the dogs runnin’ Saved by the sound of the been found Dixie whistled in the wind, that’ll get you Heaven bound The devil went down to Georgia but he didn’t stick around This is God’s country (God’s country) Yeah, I saw the light in the sunrise Sittin’ back in a 40 on the muddy riverside Gettin’ baptized in holy water and ‘shine With the dogs runnin’ Saved by the sound of the been found Dixie whistled in the wind, that’ll get you Heaven bound The Devil went down to Georgia but he didn’t stick around This is God’s country
From the Ethics of the Fathers: “Rabbi Tarfon used to say, it is not incumbent upon you to complete the task, but you are not exempt from undertaking it.”
