Ain’t no mountain high enough

IT’S a title of a Motown soul song originally done my Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell way back in 1966 and re-performed by Diana Ross in 1970. It was a big hit as it proclaimed the good news of hope whatever may happen in our life.

Part of its lyrics says: “Listen baby / ain’t no mountain high / ain’t no valley low / ain’t no river wide enough, baby. / If you need me call me / no matter where you are / no matter how far / don’t worry, baby. / Just call my name / I’ll be there in a hurry. / You don’t have to worry.”

It’s, of course, a love song, but it actually is Bible-inspired. It can be used to connect us to our true Lover, and not just any human lover. The whole idea behind is that whatever happens in our life, whether in our high moments or in our lows, God is always there for us. We have no reason to worry. God takes care of everything.

In the Book of Isaiah, we have the following pertinent passages that serve as basis for this song. “Every valley shall be raised up / every mountain and hill made low / the rough ground shall become level / and the rugged places a plain. / And the glory of the Lord will be revealed / and all people will see it together.” (40,4-5)

These words, which are divinely inspired, should be taken seriously, and should be engraved deeply and permanently in our mind and heart. Whenever we are faced with some problems, difficulties and issues that are hard to resolve, let’s remember these reassuring words.

The beauty of this song is that it makes God’s assurance of his constant care for us very easy to be felt. Human as we are, we need to feel God’s love for us, his mercy and comfort for us. We just should not be too cerebral about this matter. We need emotions, feelings and passions as well.

I sometimes advise people to sing an appropriate popular song that can throb in their heart to bring to our mind a pertinent divine quality that is applicable to a particular situation we may be in. I think it was St. Augustine who said that “he who sings prays twice.” I believe it’s because when we sing we would really express what we have in our heart.

Given the temper nowadays of people whose thoughts are often set in some melody, suggesting to them some appropriate popular love songs can have better effects than asking them to read and meditate a serious, cerebral book.

Not that meditating on some spiritual book serves no purpose or is counterproductive. It, in fact, is indispensable. It’s just that we have to help others by suggesting ways or processes in a gradual manner. For many, songs are easier to appreciate than books, though later on, books obviously give a deeper mooring.

In my work as priest who has to give a lot of advice to people, especially the young ones, I can see that many of them can relate to songs more easily than to books. And so, I am in the process of collecting titles of songs whose messages are appropriate to the different situations and predicaments of the young ones.

Nowadays, many young people find themselves in some grave predicaments. Cases of persistent anxiety, depression and thoughts of suicide are increasing. Very often they resort to some escape mechanisms or deceptive and fake cures to address their problems, and these only make things worse.

There is a great need to reach out to them, but in ways that they can easily relate. There definitely is a need for accompaniment which can be sustained if it is done in the context of the concrete conditions of the person concerned, not the hypothetical or theoretical conditions.