Jesus is a Verb, not a Noun

This song is by a guy named Ricardo Arjona. Although I doubt he is a believer, based on the content of his other music, he really shares some deep stuff about his views of church and religion. I have enjoyed this song for awhile and have gotten around to translating the lyrics. Of course, there is some stuff that doesn´t translate really good, especially in poetry, but I did my best.

If you want to listen to the song in Spanish, the link is here for the YouTube video. CLick for Link.

Yesterday, Jesus refined my guitar and sharpened my senses…
He inspired me.
Paper and pencil in hand,
I aim for the song and I was unable to write.
Because to talk and write about Jesus is redundant,
It would be better to act.
Later, he told me something
That the only way to not be redundant is to speak the truth.
To say that Jesus likes that we act, not talk.
To say that Jesus is more than five letters forming a name.
To say that Jesus is a verb, not a noun.

Jesus is more than a simple and flat theory,
What are you doing, brother reading the Bible all day?
What is written there is bound in love,
Come on, go and practice it.
Jesus, my brothers, is a verb, not a noun.

Jesus is more than a luxurious temple with Baroque stylings,
He knows that all this is nothing more than rock,
The church is held in the soul in the acts that are not forgotten,
Jesus, my brothers is a verb and not a noun.

Jesus is more than making the sign of the cross,
Kneeling and making a boast,
He knows that maybe inside that your conscience burns you,
Jesus is more than a flour on the altar, savior of sins,
Jesus, my brothers is a verb, not a noun.

Jesus is more than a group of ladies
With very black consciences,
Who pretend to earn heaven with their charity club,
If you want to be an active member
You must submit to the leadership,
Your Swiss savings account and your official contacts.

Jesus acted out all of his sermons,
If you drink coffee, that´s a sin say the mormons,
They have so little to do
That they continue making every little thing up
Jesus, my brothers, is a verb, not a noun.

Jesus doesn’t understand why they applaud him in church,
They speak of honesty knowing that the tithes are a fraud,
Jesus is disgusted by the pastor who gets rich using the faith,
Jesus, my brothers is a verb, not a noun.

They baptized me when I was 2 months old
And nobody told me about it,
There was a party, piñata and nobody asked my permission,
Baptize me, Jesus, please, among friends,
I know you hate protocol, my brother.

In my neighborhood, the most religious woman was Ms. Carlota,
She spoke of love for your neighbor, but struck me a hundred times,
Since a child I began learning
That religion is no more than a method
Titled “No Thinking Allowed” because it´s all written down.

Dear sirs, do not divide the faith, borders are for countries,
In this world there are more religions than happy children,
Jesus thought,
“I´ll make myself invisible so that all of my brothers,
Stop talking so much about me and start lending a hand.”

Jesus, you are the best witness of love, I profess,
My conscience is clean so I do not confess,
Reciting 2 Our Fathers, the murderer does not revive his victim,
Jesus, my brothers, is a verb not a noun.

Jesus, don´t come down to earth, stay there above,
Everyone who thought like you now is lying on their backs,
Forgotten in some cemetery, their ideals like luggage,
They died with a smile on their lips,
Because they were verbs, not nouns.