A Pillar of Dignity
[Intro]
Oh
Mmm
[Chorus]
Honored leader of a broken land
With the union in your shaking hand
Abraham Lincoln stood for the free
A pillar of dignity
Justice found a humble friend
Where the bitterness and fighting end
Abraham Lincoln walked the right way
Building a brand new day
[Verse 1]
Cabin logs and candle flame
A silent start to a famous name
Taught himself how to truly read
Prepared his heart for a noble deed
Far from the wealthy or the proud
[Pre-Chorus]
He heard the cry
He felt the pain
He broke the chain
[Chorus]
Honored leader of a broken land
With the union in your shaking hand
Abraham Lincoln stood for the free
A pillar of dignity
Justice found a humble friend
Where the bitterness and fighting end
Abraham Lincoln walked the right way
Building a brand new day
[Verse 2]
Brother fought his brother on the hill
Rivers of red are running still
A nation divided needs to find peace
Searching for some sweet release
Underneath a heavy winter sky
[Pre-Chorus]
The truth was told
The vote was cast
Equality at last
[Bridge]
With malice toward none
With charity for all
United we stand
Before we ever fall
Four score years ago we made a plan
[Chorus]
Honored leader of a broken land
With the union in your shaking hand
Abraham Lincoln stood for the free
A pillar of dignity
Justice found a humble friend
Where the bitterness and fighting end
Abraham Lincoln walked the right way
Building a brand new day
[Hook]
The path is clear
The path is wide
The path is here
[Spoken Intro]
Abraham Lincoln led a nation torn apart
He could have surrounded himself with friends
Instead he chose his rivals
He built a team of enemies and asked them to serve
This is his song
[Verse 1]
He came from nothing
Split the rails with steady hands
He taught himself through borrowed books
He lost elections failed and failed
But he never stopped
He always looked for something bigger than his name
A country bound by more than chains
[Pre-Chorus]
And when the storm was at its height
He did not choose the easy fight
He called the ones who disagreed
And asked them what the nation needs
[Chorus]
Team of rivals team of rivals
Bring the ones who challenge you
Listen close and learn the truth
Team of rivals team of rivals
That’s the righteous thing to do
That’s the righteous thing to do
[Verse 2]
The Homestead Act gave land to those
Who had no fortune and no name
The Emancipation broke the chains
And called the enslaved by their true name
The Gettysburg Address defined
A war for all of humankind
The Thirteenth Amendment sealed the vow
That slavery would not stand somehow
[Pre-Chorus]
And when the storm was at its height
He did not choose the easy fight
He called the ones who disagreed
And asked them what the nation needs
[Chorus]
Team of rivals team of rivals
Bring the ones who challenge you
Listen close and learn the truth
Team of rivals team of rivals
That’s the righteous thing to do
That’s the righteous thing to do
[Bridge]
In your life in your work in your home
Do you only keep the ones who agree
Do you shut the door on the ones who challenge
Do you only keep the ones who agree
Open the door listen and learn
That’s how a righteous heart will turn
[Final Chorus]
Team of rivals team of rivals
Bring the ones who challenge you
Listen close and learn the truth
Team of rivals team of rivals
That’s the righteous thing to do
That’s the righteous thing to do
[Spoken Reflection]
Think about this
Who in your life disagrees with you
What could you learn from them
Righteousness is not about being right
It is about seeking what is right
[Chorus Reprise]
Team of rivals team of rivals
Bring the ones who challenge you
Listen close and learn the truth
Team of rivals team of rivals
That’s the righteous thing to do
[Spoken Outro]
Righteousness principle
Strength is not in silence
Strength is in listening to those who disagree
Build a team of rivals
Learn from them
Lead with them