SAND AND LILY: A song for Lebanon and Syria
During our recent journey through Lebanon and Syria, one of our younger team members, Schaine Meyer, gave voice to what many of us struggled to express. He wrote a poem born out of encounters, conversations, tears, and moments of unexpected joy. That poem has now been set to music by Jakes van der Schyff (Jack) with the help of AI.
It is a song about two nations of breathtaking beauty and profound contradiction. Lands marked by war, yet overflowing with hospitality. Places carrying the weight of loss, yet refusing to surrender hope. Ancient civilizations whose streets bear the marks of conflict, while their people continue to display extraordinary courage and grace.
Above all, the song celebrates resilience. It honours those who rise each morning to rebuild, to serve, to love, and to believe that a better future is possible. It reminds us that although Lebanon and Syria may be trapped by the realities of war, their people are liberated by a hope that hardship cannot silence and a determination that refuses to yield.
Click on link below to listen (sound only):
Where mountains kiss the desert skies, and ancient stones hold whispered cries,
There lies a land both scarred and blessed, where weary souls still welcome guests.
Where cedars rise through mountain air, their ancient roots hold fast and dare;
Through storm and time, they firmly stand, like hearts deep-rooted in this land.
For even in the dryest land, love takes root where hearts united stand
In Lebanon, where valleys wind, and rugged peaks stand tall and kind,
I saw a beauty words can’t hold, a living warmth more rich than gold.
For in a land acquainted with pain, where dust has mingled with the rain,
The children’s laughter filled the air, a joy so pure, beyond compare.
They danced as though the world were new, with hearts that held a brighter view;
For though the world had dealt its scars, their joy still shone above the stars.
For even in the dryest land, love takes root where hearts united stand
And Syria, with her ancient grace, held centuries within her face,
Old Damascus, where the ages sleep, where walls remember, streets run deep.
Her stones had watched the rise and fall, of kings and kingdoms, one and all;
Yet through the wounds that time had made, a beauty lived that would not fade.
For even in the dryest land, love takes root where hearts united stand
We came as strangers, far and wide, united by the faith inside;
From many lands, one purpose shone, in Jesus’ name, we were made one.
And what we found was more than we sought, a love no wealth or power bought;
For hands reached out and hearts swung wide, with room for all who stood outside.
The tables groaned with food prepared, with more than plenty freely shared;
And blood was not the bond we knew, for family grew with every view.
For even in the dryest land, love takes root where hearts united stand
A place was set, a meal was shared, a thousand little ways they cared;
And in their giving, we could see what love in its purest form can be.
For here, where loss and grief remain, where hearts have learned the weight of pain,
Love does not wait for skies to clear, it grows right here, it gathers near.
And though the earth may crack and dry, and smoke may veil the bluest sky,
There blooms a beauty, fierce and true, in every heart that welcomes you.
For even in the dryest land, love takes root where hearts united stand
I came to give, yet more received, more than my heart had once believed;
I crossed the world, but came to see a piece of home was waiting for me.
And now, wherever I may roam, those distant lands will feel like home;
For I have seen, through dust and tears, a love that outlives pain and years.
So let the winds tell what they know, of seeds that bloom where harsh winds blow;
For even in the dryest land, love takes root where hearts united stand