A reader bought a copy of singer-songwriter Allen Levi’s song “I Did Not Save The World Today” and sent it to me, because my earlier post on “greatness” made him think of it. Levi left law practice to write and perform music full time. He lives in Hamilton, Georgia, population 420. From the song:

I tried to live with gratitude

To do the good that I could do

To love the people close to me

My neighbors and my family

To share the kindness I’ve been shown

To trust the Love that is my home

To celebrate the tiny part I play

But I did not save the world today

I hear the politicians speak

Such big ideas and lofty claims

My life, to theirs, seems small and weak

But in God’s big hand we weigh the same

 

The saints and poets seem to know

The law behind the ocean tide

The world gets changed and moved along

By little gestures multiplied

The video is not available online. At least I couldn’t find it. But if you click on the link that takes you to the full lyrics for the song, there’s a button where you can download a video (I didn’t do it; I listened to the songfile my reader purchased and sent to me). It’s a great song, and if they ever make a movie version of The Little Way Of Ruthie Leming, I will do everything I can to make sure they run this song over the credit sequence. If Little Way were a folk song, it would be I Did Not Save The World Today. I encourage you to buy the MP3 here, for 99 cents. If Little Way touched your heart and soul, so will this gentle song.

My generous reader sent me a link to Allen Levi’s blog. Levi has been silent for a while, since the death of his brother Gary from brain cancer in 2012. That blog makes for sad, beautiful reading. I’m grateful to the reader for sending me that song. He said that Levi’s music has been a guiding force in his own life since he was 14 years old. Judging by that song, I can easily imagine why.