Recorded by David Heitler-Klevans. See lyrics below for the translation of the Spanish verse. Thanks to Alcira Estevez-Bonilla for checking my Spanish.
Lyrics
Jesus the essential worker never made a lot of money.
Rode a bike and fed the hungry, carrying deliveries.
Jesus the essential worker drove a truck and dropped off boxes,
Ran a shelter for the homeless, caring for the least of these.
Jesus the essential worker made the beds and changed the dressings,
Cleaned another ventilator, wiped another toilet down.
Jesus the essential worker mopped the floor and stocked the freezer,
Waited for a bus to take her to the poorer part of town.
You can see it in the numbers: some lives matter more than others.
Every day it makes me wonder who’s essential, what that means.
We could choose to feed the hungry, heal the sick and love our neighbors.
We could be essential workers, building up the world we dream.
*Jesús, siempre trabajando, comida dando y cuidando,
Enseñando y curando, trayendo amor a todos.
Jesús, pobre para los pobres, viajando solo en el metro,
Jesús enfermo, Jesús enferma, Jesús llorando y rezando.
Jesus the essential worker had a job with no insurance,
No protection from infection, no paid leave when he got ill.
Jesus the essential worker died in pain, alone, forsaken.
Jesus the essential worker feeds the hungry even still.
Every worker is essential - also every human being,
Soul and body, mind and story, each essential in our way.
When we choose to feed the hungry, heal the sick and love our neighbors,
Jesus the essential worker lives in all our lives today.
*Translation:
Jesus, always working, giving food and caring, teaching and healing, bringing love to everyone.
Jesus, poor one for the poor, riding alone on the subway, Jesus sick, Jesus crying and praying.