Vagabonds

Come, all you vagabonds,
Come all you ‘don’t belongs’
Winners and losers,
Come, people like me.
Come all you travellers
Tired from the journey,
Come wait a while, stay a while,
Welcomed you’ll be.

Stuart Townend wrote this song with Mark Edwards and Phil Baggaley, based on Jesus’ parable: A man invites his wealthy friends to a party – and all of them give excuses for not coming. Instead he invites people in off the street – the vagabonds.

Come all you questioners
Looking for answers,
And searching for reasons
And sense in it all;
Come all you fallen,
And come all you broken,
Find strength for your body
And food for your soul.

Musing… who would these ‘vagabonds’ be today? Released from Covid restrictions who would be invited to the party?

The angry anti-social child, the out-of-work musician, the mother run ragged by home schooling, the frustrated uni-student, the exhausted nurse, the porn-addict, the bankrupt bar-owner, the bereaved husband, the asthmatic grandmother who hasn’t been out for a year… all are invited.

Come self-sufficient
With wearied ambition,
And come those who feel
At the end of the road.
Fiery debaters
And religion haters,
Accusers, abusers,
The hurt and ignored.

Townend wrote this song about the church. Often churches are seen as self-serving, judgemental of others and unwelcoming to social groups, lifestyles or beliefs that are different.

Jesus’ parable, this song and the whole Christian message. is about an inclusive God with an open heart who reaches out to everybody, welcoming them with ‘the wonder of love and the power of grace’.

This isn’t just musing; this requires a welcoming, loving, active response. There’s room for all!

Come to the feast,
There is room at the table.
Come let us meet in this place.
With the King of all kindness
Who welcomes us in,
With the wonder of love,
And the power of grace.