Here’s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 03/21/25

ONE for the ages. Still going strong at 90, the enduring showman and philanthropist Pat Boone has penned a new song that has been adopted as a humanitarian anthem. ONE – Voice for Tanzania, featuring a star-studded lineup of artists that includes Alabama,Deborah Allen, Larry Gatlin, Vince Gill, Billy Dean, Lee Greenwood, Aaron Goodvin,David B. Hooten,Jet Jurgensmeyer, MARK209, Wendy Moten, Pam Tillis and Due West dropped today. The  release, coming on the eve of World Water Day, aims to raise awareness and funds for clean water, sanitation, education, and economic opportunities in Africa. The track is now available across all streaming platforms. The music video can be viewed here.

JWK: So, how’d you get involved in helping the people of Tanzania?

Pat Boone: I wrote a song. I had no idea what I was gonna do with it at the time. I just followed my instinct to write a song with four uses of the number one…I used the word “one” four ways. One, I am one. Like no other on this planet, I am one. One, we are one when good people come together in unity. One, we’re one nation under God – if we’re not divided. And our God is one. So, I was using the number one in four ways. The song came together and it’s pretty dramatic. I got together in Nashville with a great producer named Jay Nichols and a couple of other writers who helped me polish the lyrics and we wrote this song. Then we decided we were going to make it an anthem like We Are the World – and you know what that was.

JWK: Right.

PB: We worked with an organization called WorldServe which was already in existence promoting fresh water wells for the inhabitants of 40 African nations whose governments don’t supply fresh water for the people who live in the vast desert areas. I had already helped put in a well. My wife and I, working with God TV, had brought in a 500-foot fresh water well in Tanzania. So, we used that as sort of the symbol and the impetus to encourage other people to create fresh water wells for mothers whose children have a five-year life expectancy. If a baby born in one of those 40 nations lives to be over five then he or she may live to grow up. Otherwise, the life expectancy – because of the poisoned water that is the only thing that the mother has to give them – they will (likely) die before they are five years old.

JWK: Wow.

PB: That’s the reality. So, we wanted to do something about it. We knew we could if enough people came together. So, we made my song One the anthem – which it is now. We were recording it in Nashville and while we were recording – get this, John – we discovered there was a whole group of Christian immigrants from those nations, particularly Tanzania, who got together and would sing gospel songs in Swahili, their language. When they heard this song that I wrote they now sing it in Swahili.

JWK: Oh, wow!

PB: I’ll tell you, it’s goosebumpy. It’s thrilling. You haven’t heard anything like it…I think that people are gonna really respond as they did to We Are the World and know that we can help (as) we should. In fact, I’ll tell you what rings in my my ears all the time, John, is that verse in the New Testament (that reveals) the questions we will be asked on our final exam. We know the questions on our final exam. “When I was sick, poor, naked, hungry and in prison, did you care? Did you visit me?” The answer for too many of us will be “When was that, Lord? When were you sick, poor, naked, hungry and needing help and we didn’t visit you?” He says “In as much as you did it not to the least of these My brethren. I came to save them just as I came to save you but you paid them no attention and, in so doing, you were not paying attention to Me either.” That’s what rings through this song and through the hearts of all those (participating)…It’s a fantastic group of singers…That’s what this whole thing is about. It is helping us Christians, us believers, to be able to answer when Jesus says “I was sick, poor, naked, hungry and in prison…did you care enough to minister to Me?” “When was that, Lord?” “Inasmuch as you did not care for those, you didn’t care for Me. I died for each of them just as I died for you.”

JWK: So, the proceeds from this recording will go to help water and health initiatives in Tanzania and other nations in Africa. Did you all gather together or did you record separately?

PB: We gathered together but there were some who couldn’t be in the big gathering where we did a lot of our video. For those who wanted to be involved but weren’t available then, we were able to add them in later. It’s a wonderful group of major country (and) pop artists…calling us to attention, calling us to our duty – not just attention but to our duty – to help those need our help and we know they need our help (but too often) we’re too busy to do anything about it.

JWK: That’s fantastic. The way this came together, it was almost like God pulling it together, right?

PB: Definitely. Oh, the whole thing is a God thing. If I told you all the supposed coincidences about how people heard about it – the singers heard about it – and came to us wanting to sing on the song (you’d be amazed)…I guarantee anybody who hears this song, even if they don’t know the full story, is gonna get goosebumps.

Next Post: Pat offers his thoughts on the direction of the country since Donald Trump has retaken his seat in the Oval Office.

Friday Media Scroll

The Last Supper, covered here last week, heads into its second weekend in theaters today after having finished with the 4^th highest per screen average (and #6 at the box office) last weekend.

The film and TV platform Angel has announced the upcoming premiere of their latest documentary series, Live Not By Lies, on April 1st. The four-part series is inspired by the bestselling book of the same name by Rod Dreher. The series dives deep into the survival stories of those who experienced totalitarianism and oppression under the old Soviet Union. Beyond the history, the program aims to explore how its lessons can be applied to the modern-day challenges of what Dreher describes as “soft totalitarianism” in the West. Check out the trailer here.

Prime Video has announced that the biblical drama series House of David has been picked-up for a second season. Season One premiered February 27th with three episodes in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. It garnered 22 million viewers in the first 17 days and is in the top 10 new series debuts in the US to date. New episodes will be released weekly, leading up to the season finale on April 3rd. House of David tells the story of the ascent of David on his journey to becoming the celebrated king of Israel. Season Two will follow the aftermath of David’s battle with Goliath as he navigates palace politics and his family’s jealousy.

Beginning Thursday, April 17 the streaming service UP Faith & Family will be the first place in the US  to premiere Heartland Season 18. The streamer will add new episodes weekly with a four week break after episode five. Heartland, which is based on the bestselling series of books by Lauren Brooke, follows the saga of a family-run ranch and is the longest running one-hour drama in Canadian television history.

John W. Kennedy is a writer, producer and media development consultant specializing in television and movie projects that uphold positive timeless values, including trust in God.