The song has become a popular anthem of hope and faith in many churches and communities around the world. The song was later covered by American contemporary gospel artist Tasha Cobbs in 2013. The song was released in 2011 and was written and performed by the American Christian worship band United Pursuit. Break Every Chain: Overviewīreak Every Chain is an uplifting gospel song with a powerful message of freedom and liberation. With its soul-stirring lyrics and passionate delivery, Break Every Chain has become a popular anthem of hope and faith in many churches and communities around the world. The song was originally written and performed by American Christian worship band United Pursuit in 2011, and was later covered by American contemporary gospel artist Tasha Cobbs. I believe that Jesus is calling us to break the chains of inequality, poverty, injustice, and homophobia that prevent people, especially young people of color, from getting the AIDS/ HIV treatment, education, care, and love they deserve.Break Every Chain is an uplifting gospel song with a powerful message of freedom and liberation. Prior to my work in hospice, I was naive enough to believe that the war against HIV/AIDS was being won.Īnd then in one week, I watched the deaths of four black men in their twenties from AIDS.Īnd then the next week, I sat with a 24 year old black woman with a diagnosis of End Stage AIDS, as she took her last breathĪnd then the following week, I prayed with a 21 year old Hispanic man, using my elementary Spanish to try to communicate that he was not alone, as he succumbed to AIDS complications. Affirming the same spirit that tossed that young woman out into the streets when she expressed her sexuality, not the one that took her in from the cold. While I imagined that she was asking God to proclaim a new eschatological reality where all were liberated from oppression, she was actually reinforcing the current reality of prejudice and homophobia. Tasha Cobb, the singer, asks Christ to break the chains of homosexuality, the first thing she names in a list of "sins" for saints to be delivered from. But upon listening to the live album version, my sentiments turned to rage. I was so touched that I downloaded the song when I got home. Another rendition of " Come, Lord Jesus, Come!" Bring us divine liberation from the oppression, the injustice, that took the life of our friend. In the midst of the sorrow, tears, and shock, someone's phone continued to sing out " Break every chain, break every chain, breeeeeeaaaak every chain." I was touched by how this song felt like a prayer, an invocation. When the nurse pronounced his death, this same young woman let out one of the most haunting screams I have ever heard. She cried as she told me how he was the first person to ever show her what pride truly meant. "See," they would say, "Isn't he gorgeous?" And he was.Īnother young woman pulled me aside to tell me how he took her in after her mother threw her out for coming out. They scrolled through photo after photo of him dancing, smiling, being the life of the party. They wanted me to see him at his best, not like this. Others pulled up his Facebook page for me to see him. Many whispered to me "But I just saw him" or "We were just talking on the phone" or " He just updated his Instagram." He was dying of AIDS, a diagnosis that most were not aware of prior to his hospitalization. Shocked that their friend, brother, cousin, and son was meeting this untimely and unexpected death. The crowd was full of stunned, grieving, loving, young people. I heard these lyrics rising from an iPhone in a room of at least two dozen people gathered to say their final goodbyes to a beautiful 23 year old man. There is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain.
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