“And if you’re up there you’ll perceive
That my heart’s here upon my sleeve
If there’s one thing I don’t believe in… It’s you, Dear God”

A statement of non-belief in God isn’t very inspirational as a God Quote. Or is it?

The song “Dear God” was released in 1986 by the British band XTC. The songwriter Andy Partridge wrote the song in response to a number of “Dear God” books that had been published at that time, directed at children, which he saw as exploitative. The lyrics are direct, heart-wrenching, and pull no punches.

As a believer in God and a Christian, my first response to a song like this is to protest, “No! You don’t get it! Let me clear up this theology or lack thereof!” To God-followers this kind of spiritual protest song raises the hackles. But I wonder: is that a bad thing? Partridge raises some age-old questions, and ones that are not and should not be easily answered. If anything, after some time with the song, I’ve come to appreciate that this kind of thing gets radio airplay. Why? Because it is all part of a crucial conversation, something so far beyond the “Oh Baby” pop or other vacuous crap pumped through our speakers.

If “Dear God” gets you thinking, if it challenges you as a believer to really understand what you believe and why you believe it  – guess what? It is an inspirational song.

So for my God Quote today is the song that still lingers with raw emotional power more than 30 years later:

Dear God by XTC

Dear God, hope you get the letter and
I pray you can make it better down here
I don’t mean a big reduction in the price of beer
But all the people that you made in your image
See them starving on their feet
‘Cause they don’t get enough to eat from God
I can’t believe in you

Dear God, sorry to disturb you but
I feel that I should be heard loud and clear
We all need a big reduction in amount of tears
And all the people that you made in your image
See them fighting in the street
‘Cause they can’t make opinions meet about God
I can’t believe in you

Did you make disease and the diamond blue?
Did you make mankind after we made you?
And the Devil too!

Dear God don’t know if you noticed but
Your name is on a lot of quotes in this book
And us crazy humans wrote it, you should take a look
And all the people that you made in your image
Still believing that junk is true
Well I know it ain’t, and so do you
Dear God
I can’t believe in
I don’t believe

I won’t believe in heaven or hell
No saints, no sinners, no devil as well
No pearly gates, no thorny crown
You’re always letting us humans down
The wars you bring, the babes you drown
Those lost at sea and never found
And it’s the same the whole world ’round
The hurt I see helps to compound
The Father, Son and Holy Ghost
Is just somebody’s unholy hoax
And if you’re up there you’ll perceive
That my heart’s here upon my sleeve
If there’s one thing I don’t believe in

It’s you
Dear God

Written by Andy Partridge • Copyright © BMG Rights Management US, LLC