Beyond the Second Mile – Caedmon/Caedmon
Recording from Farewell Concert 1978.
https://soundcloud.com/…/beyond-second-mile-farewell…
The Reverend Professor William F Storrar, an internationally known academic theologian with way too many letters after his name, used to be known just as Willie. Back in the 70s he had a penchant for gathering groups to put on student revues – general silliness with a serious, usually Biblical, point buried in the proceedings. At one point, while planning one of these, someone suggested that we look at a Bible passage where Jesus says that if anyone forces you to go one mile with them, go two! Someone else suggested, in a spirit of sacrifice and generosity, that we should go beyond the second mile. Thus was a song born. Whoever actually said it, it was Willie’s fault.
No, it didn’t get into the revue; it probably took me much too long to write and the style wouldn’t have suited.
(Matthew chapter 5, verses 38 to 42, if you want to look it up. It’s immediately before the part where Jesus says, “love your enemy”.)
Sam Wilson 2023